With the huge popularity these days of online multiplayer gaming, one of the biggest requests from gamers has been for console clan support. But just how important are clans in online gaming?

Sure, clans give gamers a useful place to gather with friends to play online. But for gamers who aren’t in clans, these groups seem like elitist players who want to prey on those outside of their clan. With mainly hardcore gamers involved in clans, should developers focus precious time on adding this feature? It’s been reported that Halo 3 will not have any clan support (unlike Halo 2 which had a simplified clan interface). With arguably the biggest mulitplayer console game of the year not having clan support, just how important is this feature for other games?

I’ve been in clans and had a great time. I’ve also been in games against clan members when I was not a member of a clan only to have them gang up on all non-clan members. The non-clan members dropped promptly from the game, saying it’s just not fun to be ganged up on. With the huge influx of new gamers online, could clans become a reason for many of these people to stop playing online?

Personally, I think that clan support is great, if done correctly. If clans can play online with other clans, it’s a great feature. However, if clan support is just an extra in-game friends list, it doesn’t prove enough to allow all gamers to have the best online experience.

You know what I think, what about you? Would you like to see more or less clan support in online games?