Video Gaming as Socializing

What do video games say about socializing? Can playing games with friends and "friends" over the internet replace actual socializing with people. I say "friends" because a lot of people have friends that are similar to myspace or facebook friends. These are people that they don't really know but are there to bolster a friends number that everyone can see. I do think that as long as you are socializing with persons that you actually know, online game playing can replace real life socializing for the most part. I play games online all the time with people that I actually know and that saves me the time of making the sometimes hour-long drive out to see them. And all we'd be doing is playing the same game together but we'd be in the same room. Online communication is a good replacement for socializing as long as you're actually communicating on not simply a superficial level.