I'm a game dev with specific interest in the socialization aspect. The guy that made slack and flickr started each with first trying to create a social-first b

I'm a game dev with specific interest in the socialization aspect. The guy that made slack and flickr started each with first trying to create a social-first browser game and failing both times before making these huge successes from their rubble. I, too, have experience in this way but with more success as we focused on kids. E.g. Club Penguin, Habo Hotel, and Moviestarplanet found their mark for the time they were popular. I imagine Roblox is the modern version of this. Adults don't seem to be as open to socializing with strangers online as children. There are also MMOs from the past like everquest that were definitely social first. The best way I've found to create social interaction is to give players goals which rely on other players that are open ended enough for players to socialize about which goals to achieve. The problem with modern games is that they're too fast paced to rely on other players. Games that require communication and discussing strategy (think D&D style) require that you're not just doing finger DDR. That's a hard sell when games are popularized through streaming and other video. It's a catch-22. I'm excited about the future of real socializing with games. It's what I spend my days building but there's a part of me that wonders if the world today will allow for it.