CMN 10Y- Video Games
Task-oriented players
-Q's and A's about a task or procedure -ask/give commands -ask/give opinions -ask/give information
Recruiting
-based on large calls or done by personal referral -players also recruited others they met while exploring the game world
Guild size: Large groups
-features strangers that met in-game -more formal organizational practices -develop intense relationships -resembled military organizations
Guild size: Small groups
-fewer than 10 players -focused on social bonds -work on achieving goals -selective recruiting processes -resembled sports leagues or clubhouses
Encounters with unacquainted human players
-forming new relationships with unfamiliar players is a key social process in online games -nearly all MUD players formed personal relationships with other users
Social life of guilds is affected by...
-goals -size -formal practices -leadership dynamics
Female guild members
-good recruiters -recruited boyfriends, spouses, family members, etc.
The effect of time spent playing on social circles
-increased social online video game play was linked to smaller and lower quality offline social circles -time spent playing online games may result in social displacement effects
Time spent playing... EQ2 players
-was beneficial for those who played with their family but was detrimental for those who did not -those that played with family and friends showed reduced loneliness compared to those who played with strangers -play tie intruded on time spent with family if players did not play with their family -but, playing EQ2 increased family communication time for those who played with their family
Self-disclosure
-was linked to increased trust, implying that personal dialog fosters trust in close-knit "clans"
Motivations to play
1. Achievers 2. Explorers 3. Socializers 4. Killers
Interpersonal communication in video games
1. encounters with unacquainted human players 2. intergroup communication among players organized in stable groups or "clans" 3. communication in social units existing within the game's narrative 4. online game interactions among people in preexisting relationships
Factors affecting the formation of new relationships in online video games
1. motivations to play the game 2. time spent playing 3. nonverbal and verbal communication patterns among players
MMOs
Massive multiplayer online games
MUDs
Multi-user dungeons
Is game achievement linked to consciousness?
No, achievement motivation in online games is unrelated to traditional measures of achieving personality.
Socioemotional players
Positive: -support -agreement -jokes/laughter Negative -antagonism -disagreement -tension, disinterest
The two factions that WoW has
The Alliance and The Horde
Trust
Trust toward EQ2 guild members was higher than trust toward others in the game, implying that persistent game identities and in-game reputation increases trust -trust is even higher upon guild members that used voice chat
Does sending more messages lead to loneliness?
Yes. It is possible that: a. players were making shallow connections b. players with problematic psychosocial tendencies spent more time playing and making connections but ended up lonelier
Media multiplexity theory
communication media functions as a means of maintaining work and social connections
The Horde
has a more non-western and "third-world" aestethic and has a more outcast, tribal, and brutal aesthetic
The Alliance
has more Western or "first-world" aesthetic and fights over restoring order
Achievements of... WoW players
interested in socializing were extraverted, agreeable, open to experiences and more neurotic
Neuroticism
low emotional availability
Language used... MUD players
more paralanguage overtime (emoticons), and paralanguage use was linked to making MUD friendships
Unwritten norm
more than half of guild members used voicechat
Achievements of... MUD players
mostly focused on role-playing; and player trait sociability had a moderate effect on forming online relationships
SIP (Walther, 1992)
people reduce uncertainty when meeting strangers online by developing and testing impressions
Language used... Experienced gamers
sent more positive and fewer negative social and emotional text messages than inexperiences players, ad use more emotions, emotes, and abbreviations
Social displacement effects
trade offs between offline connections for newly formed online connections
Achievements of... EQ2 players
were motivated to achieve and get immersed but less motivated to socialize