Frustration is nothing new in online games. From the terrible spawn camper, killing you as soon as you enter the game, to the trash talker who has not hit puberty yet, we encounter all sorts of stressors. Yet, people keep coming back for more. Why?

I have narrowed it down to two aspects: competitiveness and social interaction.

First, the competitive side in all of us, rearing its head. From the first-person shooter to the racing game, we head online to test our mettle against other players, striving to shoot first or cross the finish line ahead of the pack. Seeing my name at the top of the list in Call of Duty: Black Ops, a first-person shooter, and knowing that many gamers on the other team have seen the face of the Cookie Monster as they die &- makes me strive to be the best.

The second, and I would argue more important aspect of online games, is social interaction. After coming home after a long day of school and work, most people want to sit back and relax. But, humans are social creatures, and we need to get our fix of talking to people. This is where the massively multiplayer online role-playing game comes into play.

World of Warcraft and Guild Wars are two prime examples. Hop online, talk with the people of the guild you are in, which is a group of people you have joined, kill a few monsters with them and chat about life.

And no, the pre-pubescents that populate the online gaming realm, who scream obscenities at you, does not count as socializing. If they are who you consider your friends, it is time to set the controller down, step outside and play some real sports for interaction and competition.

I spoke with two guild leaders from Guild Wars, and both cited the social interaction as the reason they play the game. My own guild leader, April Taulbee of New York, could do without everything but the people in the game.

“What I like about (Guild Wars), more than the game play (and) more than the stunning visuals, is really the community building; that the guild option lets you group like-minded people beyond casual play,” she said. “That way there are always people you know to talk to and play with. I’m about the people more than the game, but the game provides the binder.”

Sandy Guinn, another guild leader, says it is more about a person’s history that keeps him interested.

“You find people online that are so different from yourself, it is fun to get to know about them and their backgrounds,” he said.

Interestingly, both competitiveness and social interaction are intertwined, not just with learning how to act as a team. Different genres of games translate to different levels of social interaction, and even different ways of socializing. Gamers are less likely to find someone friendly while shooting others online than they are in a fantasy setting, where everyone is trying to kill the monster.

Dan Kim, junior business major, said the reactions of people can be anywhere from humble to easy-going, to unsportsmanlike and belligerent.

“In first-person shooters like Counter-Strike, players talk a lot of trash when it comes to their performances especially when they “own” others and same the other way around,” Kim said. “In real time strategy games like StarCraft II, however, I’ve encountered many players with humble attitudes in which they tend to make positive comments on the gameplay of players, and even say “good game” at the end of each match.”

So, why should you play online games? It is a chance for you to show off your skills and tell the other team you “owned” them. Not only that, but working as part of a team to overcome a goal, while learning about each others’ lives and getting our social interaction fix is a great way to spend a few hours.

Cole Mayer can be reached at [email protected]