Video games have made leaps and bounds technologically from their ’80s arcade origins, but often the human element is lost among conversations about graphics, rivalries and online functions. It is important to remember why people play video games in the first place and why video games are now so ingrained in our culture.

One of the reasons that video games remain so popular is the human connectivity and bonding that they promote. From the dawn of the industry to current day, video games have been a way for family and friends to spend time together. Video games foster competitiveness and cooperativeness in ways that films, music and books never can.

With the rise of the Internet, video games in today’s time largely focus on the online multiplayer aspect. This further increases the connectivity that binds people together by allowing friends hundreds of miles apart to play together.

The double-edged sword to the rise of online functionality is the decline of local multiplayer. Many games lack the ability to be played with just a couple people sitting down on the couch. This is a travesty. Some of the best moments I’ve had playing video games came from playing in a room together. Whether it be clashing against my friends and roommates in sports games or playing four-player platforming games with my family, it’s hard to replace local multiplayer without losing something vital to video games.

As the video game industry has bloomed and expanded, it seems more people are focused on hardware, software and rivalries, but sometimes it’s more important to state that the real reason we play video games is to have fun and connect with people.