I think the author ends up missing something about the social aspect that has shifted in video games. Other comments rightly point out that social interaction i

I think the author ends up missing something about the social aspect that has shifted in video games. Other comments rightly point out that social interaction in video games is not at all a new phenomenon. But I do think the rise of Twitch streaming has legitimately changed the way we interact with video games (and with each other in the context of video games). Streaming and watching streams is incredibly popular among Gen Z (and earlier generations to a lesser extent), and that creates different dynamics. There are more interactions in the vein of a streamer interacting with fans, rather than a bunch of people collectively playing a game together -- though there is still that too. These streaming channels also have communities that build up around them, so people watching are interacting with each other as well. In some sense, gaming has moved from being solely an "entertainment-by-playing" industry, and added a level of "entertainment-by-watching" as well. I have fond memories of watching my friends play a game (as we passed the controller back and forth between levels/deaths), sitting on the floor in front of the TV with each other. But streaming communities focused around watching others play games feels like a new social phenomenon to me.