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