Contemplating The Potential Of The Social Gaming Space

Over the weekend, Om Malik (of GigaOM fame) laid bare some information that most any avid gamer might enjoy. He spoke of a brief encounter with Shawn Fanning (of Napster fame) at a holiday party, at which point he learned of the imminent public release of Rupture, a startup more than a year in the making.

A startup whose purpose is to connect “game fiends in a social sort of way.”

Which got me thinking. And not about Rupture, actually. Instead, I began to ponder why Microsoft of all businesses, being the proprietor of one of the most popular gaming platforms to date (Xbox/Xbox 360) and an elemental part of the PC gaming industry, has not yet devised a network that so fully encompasses those two very lucrative arenas.

Yes, it has Xbox Live. And that system is superb. Absolutely. It’s likely the best of its kind. And the social features constructed within various games designed for play using desktop computers are also quite good. World of Warcraft is a shining example.

But there still is a lack of any one place that brings all facets together. At least anything engineered in Redmond. There’s been no word released by Microsoft’s graphically-gifted coterie of a Rupture-like establishment soon to come. No social network that brings together the console and PC gamers alike.

Which seems like a fantastic sin of omission, wouldn’t you say? A massive hole left neglected. And very unfortunately so. If Rupture manages to be Fanning’s second coming, as it were (Snocap hasn’t been much of a noteworthy success), Microsoft could very well see it’s chance at a uniquely targeted and hugely successful social enterprise mating some of its “coolest” assets (not to mention financial heavyweights) slip by. That wouldn’t be to Gates’s liking, nor Ballmer’s.

So what gives? Why the silence? Why the incognizance? Microsoft would do well to get atop that prospective pony and charge the market like it’s livelihood depended on it.

Not that it does, or will. Microsoft is still a goddamn behemoth milking billions from its assortment of businesses. It’s certainly secure in that respect.

But regardless, this idea of an all-in-one social centerpoint for the game-loving masses is quite an elephant left unaddressed. I say shame on MSFT if it continues to fail to spot this great opening. And bully for Fanning if he manages to cause some long-lasting thunder with Rupture – and makes the two richest Steves in the American northwest thoroughly pissed off as a result.