Paratextuality

This is a response to Dr. Jones' question regarding paratexts and how it influences our game play.

Personally, I have always relied on help from my peers (and occasionally my mother) for help in choosing a game, learning how to play the game, getting help when I'm stuck...I wouldn't play video games at all if I couldn't play them with someone or know someone I could call on. Some of the most lively conversations I've had were about a a video game. Commiseration is always a good way to bring people together.

Even if you're a lone gamer, you still feel compeled to tell somebody about how you finally beat that one boss, and how awesome it felt when he keeled over and died. The lone gamer knows that nobody else cares, but the experience just wouldn't be worth as much if it were not shared.