Chapter 1: The Shift in Gaming Dynamics

When I approached the wall of gaming cartridges, my perspective on video games underwent a significant transformation.

Initially, I anticipated a quick visit to the gaming store, intending to grab a game for my son and me to enjoy together. However, the experience turned out to be quite different.

My goal was simply to find a game we could play side by side, enhancing our quality time during the COVID-19 quarantine while alleviating the stress brought on by the pandemic.

What I discovered was surprising and led me to realize how video games had inadvertently prepared us for these challenging times.

I learned a couple of new terms that day.

One was “co-op,” referring to the ability to play video games with others who aren’t physically present. This is commonly known as online multiplayer. Technically, players could be together in the same space as long as they were on separate consoles. However, co-op games often involved friends in different homes, sometimes even in various states or countries, communicating through headsets.

The other term was “couch co-op,” also referred to as local or offline multiplayer, which is what I was specifically looking for—a game we could enjoy together in the same room.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the availability of such games had diminished over time.

This change was stark compared to my childhood in the '90s, where gaming with friends meant gathering in one place and sharing controllers. Most games back then supported one or two players, and we spent countless nights playing classics like Mario Kart, surrounded by pizza and soda.

While I did enjoy solo gaming, it primarily served as a way for me and my friends to socialize without the pressure of emotional discussions. Research from UCLA highlights that men often bond through shared activities, whereas women tend to connect through emotional conversations.

By moving away from in-person gaming, video games unintentionally shifted how male friendships formed, allowing us to bond from afar instead.

After 13 years of teaching and writing about human connections, I can confidently say that there is no substitute for face-to-face interactions. Unbeknownst to us, video games had readied us for isolation and social distancing, setting the stage for the pandemic ahead.

When COVID-19 restrictions hit in 2020, the world transformed almost overnight.

People transitioned to remote work, and those fortunate enough to retain their jobs found themselves navigating a virtual environment filled with Zoom calls and collaborative software. Isolated indoors, friends and family turned to video chats or phone calls for connection. Even romantic relationships frequently faltered under the strain of distance, despite a surge in dating app activity—though few ventured to meet in person.

This was three years after Vivek H. Murthy, a former surgeon general, raised alarms about a loneliness epidemic, stating, “We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s.”

Despite the pandemic reshaping many aspects of daily life, the gaming landscape remained largely unchanged.

Groups of friends flocked to social games like Among Us, Minecraft, and Don’t Starve Together, with online co-op play becoming more popular than ever. Twitch saw record viewership during lockdowns, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions soared to 10 million, and Steam surpassed all previous player records.

I believe this adaptability was key for many kids during the pandemic. Video games provided a semblance of normalcy, allowing them to maintain existing friendships and forge new ones.

In essence, video games not only equipped us for the pandemic but also aided our survival during it, offering a means for virtual connection that engaged both our minds and emotions.

Numerous studies underscore the critical role of strong personal relationships in fostering happiness and life satisfaction. Those who endured some of history's darkest times, including the Holocaust, often did so with the support of robust social networks.

Ultimately, it is our connections with one another that help us rise above adversity.

Eventually, I found a couch co-op game that my son and I could enjoy together. We have a blast playing titles like Super Mario Smash, Mario Maker 2, and Super Mario Galaxy 2—yes, we’re avid Mario fans!

There remains a wealth of games for players to engage with both locally and globally, and game developers have been quick to respond to the demand for online multiplayer experiences.

As we move into the recovery phase of COVID-19 worldwide, I hope to see more couch co-op games emerge. We need more than just routine; we need each other.

This video explores how the pandemic shifted our lives online, highlighting the role of technology in maintaining connections during isolation.

This video discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in video game popularity, reflecting the need for social interaction during lockdowns.