Do Video Games Damage Relationships?

Day 39

Video games bring people together and that potential is not limited to married couples that play for an hour a day.  Bungi has Halo players equipping emblems to support the Haiti effort.  Without the support of Blizzard players have successfully orchestrated gay pride in the MMORPG World of WarCraft.  The exponential growth of both Xbox live marketplace and Playstation Network are a testament to the interactivity of games.  I think that people who feel neglected by loved ones who play games should pick up a controller and sit beside that loved one (rah-rah video games).

John and I have been looking for video games to play physically together and have found that sophisticated co-op is lacking. The gaming industry is not developing games that nurture strong face-to-face interpersonal skills.  There is a plethora of multi-player games but most are online instead of splitscreen.  There is no shortage of games that provide communicative interfaces, there are far less games that allow players to engage in a close proximity.   

We can play music games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band.  We can play some FPS like Borderlands or Halo. I do not have a Wii, so the option for most party games is out.  I would love to play another adventure game like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

The argument that video games damage relationships may have some merit.  Video games, like other technology are making it easier to connect with acquaintances and forsake those in the same room with us.  Facebook, the Xbox marketplace and MySpace all make it easy to keep in touch with people from different aspects of my life.  Are these technologies, including video replacing real conversations?  I hope soon John and I will find a game that helps us to enjoy our favorite entertainment without forsaking our communication.