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Communities and Online Gaming

A better you: socialising and personal development through MMOs

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the positive impact of online gaming on improving relationships, socializing and its contribution to overall personal development. Within this paper, it is argued that games could achieve this through: (1) serving as third places leading to the break-down of conventional social norms; (2) the provision of varied social ties and experiences; and (3) by inciting a greater sense of responsibility and trust through in-game challenges and objectives.     

Despite criticisms of potential relationship deterioration, and false communities, perceived social and growth benefits of virtual gameplay environments may transcend this space to extend to players’ offline lives. The evidence appearing in this paper consist of studies and information gathered from existing academic journal articles, media files, and correspondence from players themselves.                         

Introduction

In the modern day, online gaming has become an incredibly popular activity all over the world for both young and older demographics. Over the years, gaming has evolved from simple forms such as adult arcade games, to realistic and powerful graphic-intensive gameplay experiences. In 2019, there was an estimated 2.5 billion gamers worldwide and approximately $152.1 billion spent on this industry (Wijman, 2019). This popular entertainment form has consequently been the subject of controversy over whether it is a help or hinderance in the lives of its dedicated players. There is a conception that time spent engaging in gameplay—particularly games that fall into the category of MMOs (known as Mass-Multiplayer Online games)—can result in negative occurrences such as gaming addiction, poor relationships and a sense of false community (Beniger, 1987; Postman, 1992, as cited in Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 886).  

However, increasingly more studies are finding that this in fact may not be true. Despite claims that MMO erode relationships and foster pseudo communities, it is possible that these games may actually contribute to more balanced social lives and improved overall personal development. This is due to gaming worlds as third places able to weaken traditional social barriers, the role of MMO communities in offering balanced social capital relations, and the pursuit of game challenges that nurture responsibility and trust. For the purpose of this argument, most of the focus will centre around MMOs where players experience the game and interact with other players through the use of digital characters, or ‘avatars’ (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 886) that are tied to an online server. In particular, this paper makes several references to the MMO World of Warcraft, where many of these claims are applicable.

eroding social barriers (not relationships)

MMOs serve as ‘third places’ able to break down traditional social barriers and promote more diverse relations.Steinkuehler and Williams (2006, p. 889) outline this concept of a ‘third place’, as a neutral social space separate from home and work, usually existing in the form of social venues such as bars, clubs, cafes, etc. Advancements in technology have however, led to the movement of these third places to the digital sphere, in the form of online gaming servers. Traditionally restricted to one’s hometown or state, these places have now become accessible to people all over the world from the comfort of their home (p. 894). This shift brings with it, a different social dynamic and form of interaction governed by the confines of the online world. The interactions conducted in this environment are done so without a physical body, nor heavy involvement of real-life aspects of identity able to be perceived or judged by other parties (Frostling-Henningsson, 2009, p. 558). For example, in the case of an RPG MMO such as World of Warcraft, individuals interact as game characters or entities governed by the player’s chosen categories of race and class(Williams et al., 2006).Any traditional social barriers such as background, race, culture, etc. therefore remain unrecognised and mostly irrelevant, further suggesting that individuals are able to consequently express themselves more comfortably than they perhaps would in an offline social dynamic(Cole & Griffiths, 2007, as cited in Frostling-Henningsson, 2009, p. 558). Connection is instead ‘built on personal engagement and interest’ (p. 558) and players essentially learn how to interact with one another through the parts of their personalities showcased in the game (Cherin, as cited in Frostling-Henningsson, 2009, p. 558).

At the same time, the nature of these interactions and their congregation in a capacity of largely unrestricted movement allows players to be exposed to different types of people they may not normally encounter in the offline world (p. 558). This increases the likelihood of exposure to situations or viewpoints that could initiate discussion, debate, or juxtaposition alongside an individual’s existing values and opinions. This provides each party the opportunity to reflect upon and more deeply engage with these new perspectives. The increased exposure resulting from these types of interactions (particular in a non-threatening space such as an online guild or social group) could lead to a more open mind, greater levels of tolerance, acceptance, and an overall greater understanding of one another. One World of Warcraft player echoed this attitude online, reflecting that: ‘this game is a community, a way of life and a common [ground] between those who wouldn’t have any otherwise’ (AngelFall9, 2015).

Through their position as a third place, MMOs therefore allow social interactions to be diversified under a veil of unity and familiarity that helps lift conventional social barriers and enable richer social exchange and relationships.

creating social balance

MMOs encourage more balanced social lives through the provision of varied social ties or ‘capital’, and experiences to meet different social needs.

  • Social balance through varied social capital

During social interaction and bond formation, the term ‘social capital’ has been deemed useful as a tool for understanding social structure, and measuring the depth of these relations (Putnam 2000, as cited in Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 900; Greely, 1997, as cited in Foster, Meinhard & Berger, 2003, p. 2). Steinkuehler and Williams (2006, p. 900) define the concept of ‘social capital’ as similar to financial capital; [in that] it can be ‘acquired and spent, [in exchange] for social and personal gains’. Previous studies have highlighted two types of connection that can be formed within the realm of social capital—‘social bridging’, and ‘social bonding’ (Castiglione, Van Deth, & Guglielmo, 2008; Putnam, 2000, as cited in Trepte, Reinecke, & Juechems, 2012, p. 882)—and an understanding of the nature of these social connections will demonstrate how MMOs can be viewed as a tool to strike balance between the two.
‘Social bridging’ refers to a diverse network style of social capital whereby relationships are not necessarily very deep, but are beneficial in providing assistance, monetary or professional support, access to information and resources, and offering new perspectives or interpretations to  individuals (Williams et al., 2006; Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006). ‘Social bonding’ by contrast, is generally less diverse but consists of strong relationships that provide a solid emotional support system. These are the ties generally seen between close family members or friends, and many other offline relationships in an individual’s life (p. 901). Whilst in MMOs, previous studies suggest that social bridging relations are the bonds more likely to be formed (Huvila, et al., 2010, as cited in Trept et al., 2012).          

However,there is a lack of evidence to suggest that one type of capital is consistently more beneficial than the other, in all situations, all of the time. In fact, research suggests that having a combination of both types of social ties is ideal in maintaining a balanced social life that promotes wellbeing (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002; Ferlander, 2007; Foster et al., 2003; Reeves, 2019). MMOs also provide a unique space where existing bonds can be strengthened (TED, 2010) and social bridging ties alternatively, can deepen to those of a bonding nature, depending on game interaction and the progression of social dynamics (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 902).

  • Social balance through varied social experience

Regardless of whether relationships fall under the category of bonding or bridging, the social component associated with both styles has continuously been shown to provide a more enriched gaming experience for players, and providing the opportunity to observe and learn from the playstyle and methods of one another (Frostling-Henningsson, 2009). In particular, one study conducted on World of Warcraft’s in-game social groups referred to as ‘guilds’ discovered that many players not only enjoyed the sense of belonging it afforded them, but also liked being connected and identified with a particular group, and the respect it brought them (Williams et al., 2006, p. 349). Another study additionally demonstrated that the social component not only serves as entertainment for players, but the collaborative nature proves valuable in ‘striving for perfection [and], ‘striving to reach the top’ (Micko, as cited in Frostling-Henningsson, 2009, p. 560). These experiences work alongside social capital to create a diverse set of relationships that will likely cater to different social, emotional and/or practical needs. As such, MMOs could be viewed as a tool that brings balance to communal relations through social capital and various experiences.

contributing to overall development

Game objectives within MMOs could potentially enhance development by cultivating responsibility and trust.

  • Responsibility and purpose through gameplay objectives

In addition to providing entertainment and opportunities to socialise, MMOs may also provide individuals with an environment where they are able to take on responsibility and feel purposeful through the fulfillment of game objectives (TED, 2010). Game mechanisms that are most successful in activating these attitudes are those that possess a learning curve, a set of skills to be mastered, a completion aim and feedback system, and a challenge or quest tailored towards the designated player’s exact level and skill-set (Frostling-Henningsson, 2009; TED, 2010). Upon accepting an objective, players not only become responsible for its completion, but find they are pushed to the limits of what they are capable of in order to achieve a successful outcome (TED, 2010). This responsibility will likely invoke a sense of purpose in players, while the belief and knowledge that success is possible, further allows them to conclude that it is worthwhile to pursue and persist in order to complete the task (TED, 2010). Biological evidence also supports this idea—when players receive positive affirmation or feedback from completing a challenge, the brain receives a surge of dopamine, prompting further pursuit of that feeling, and a search for the next, more difficult challenge to overcome (Willis, 2011). Favourable responses to effort generally also result in heightened feelings of progress and improvement, and a sense that the hard work and effort expended is paying off—connecting back to this idea of having responsibility and feeling purposeful (TED, 2010).

While it is quite clear that in-game objectives will very likely differ from the type of problems an individual might face in the offline world, they are not completely disconnected from one another. There is evidence to suggest that a correlation exists between positive in-game behaviours and redeeming qualities found in players, indicating that these qualities are likely transferrable between both environments (Frostling-Henningsson, 2009). Therefore, the continued use of problem-solving and goal achievement is likely to give players more confidence in their abilities within those areas and potentially cause a cascade effect of this into their offline lives.

One player of the MMO game RuneScape, reflected this correlation between the two in an interview for the game’s documentary, stating:

“There used to be a stigma whereby to play a game like RuneScape was to abandon the real world, but actually I think the two realities feed really well into each other. In my job, working for a student union now, I use a lot of the skills that I learned playing RuneScape” —His Lordship, (player)

(RuneScape, 2017, 30:29).
  • Trust and collaboration through gameplay objectives

In addition to delegating responsibility, game objectives allow individuals to collaborate and form groups to take on more difficult objectives that may require collective effort for a successful outcome. In terms of personal relationships, playing games with others has also been shown to build up ‘bonds of trust and cooperation’ (TED, 2010, 9:42), allows players to reap the benefits of more rapid game progression, foster a mutual sense of shared glory when victorious and promote a shared sense of teamwork in their pursuit of a common goal (Frostling-Henningsson, 2009, p. 560). When players wholly trust one another and can cooperate effectively towards a common goal, players are also more likely to feel a sense of belonging and communal support. Therefore, it is possible that continuous involvement in such an environment could further deepen the ability to trust and work effectively alongside others, thereby making it easier and more viable for an individual to display these skills in the offline world, also. Overall, greater responsibility, purpose and trust inspired by gameplay could therefore, have a positive impact upon overall personal development.

Conclusion

The real world and the gaming world are different, and not all skills displayed in games will be immediately transferrable to an offline environment. However, much of the interaction involved in online multiplayer gameplay does provide ample learning opportunity to develop beneficial skills. For individuals spending extensive amounts of time interacting in these virtual gameplay spaces, it is likely their behaviours will begin to mould their lives accordingly. As interaction is undertaken through the gameplay world: traditional social boundaries will likely weaken, and lead to more diverse social relations; abalance of social capital and experiences could improve social relations; and the achievement of gameplay challenges may inspire responsibility and trust. All of which combined, would result in a more balanced and rich social life, and the development of positive traits contributing to personal growth.

References

AngelFall9. (2015). Re: World of Warcraft: Looking for Group Documentary [YouTube video comment]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyPzTywUBsQ&t=723s

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002). Social capital and social wellbeing. http://www.oecd.org/innovation/research/2380806.pdf

Ferlander, S. (2007) The importance of different forms of social capital for health. Acta Sociologica, 50(2), 115-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001699307077654

Foster, M., Meinhard, A., & Berger, I. (2003). The role of social capital: bridging, bonding or both? Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0d58/6678490686aaf63fd3b7cd2a2f63332dfcdb.pdf

Frostling-Henningsson, M. (2009). First-person shooter games as a way of connecting to people: “Brothers in blood”. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(5), 557-562. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2008.0345

Reeves, R.V. (2019, April 8). Feeling good or doing good? Emotional social capital versus relational social capital. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/04/08/feeling-good-or-doing-good-emotional-social-capital-versus-relational-social-capital/

RuneScape. (2017, April 10). The RuneScape Documentary – 15 Years of Adventure [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RNK0YBdwko&t=2586s

Steinkuehler, C. A., & Williams, D. (2006). Where everybody knows your (screen) name: online games as “third places”. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(4), 885-909. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00300.x

TED (2010, Febuary). Gaming can make a better world. [Video]. TED.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world

Trepte, S., Reinecke, L., & Juechems, K. (2012). The social side of gaming: how playing online computer games creates online and offline social support. Computers in Human Behaviour, 28(3), 832-839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.12.003.

Williams, D., Ducheneaut, N., Xiong, L., Yee, N., & Nickell, E. (2006). From tree house to barracks: The social life of guilds in World of Warcraft. Games and Culture, 1(4), 338-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412006292616

Wijman, T. (2019, June 18). The global games market will generate $152.1 billion in 2019 as the U.S. overtakes China as the biggest market. https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/the-global-games-market-will-generate-152-1-billion-in-2019-as-the-u-s-overtakes-china-as-the-biggest-market/

Willis, J. (2011, April 14). A Neurologist makes the case for the video game model as a learning tool. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/neurologist-makes-case-video-game-model-learning-tool

22 replies on “A better you: socialising and personal development through MMOs”

Hey Vanessa!
Always love females writing about games, so I was excited to read your paper. Perfect choice of image relating to your topic, it definitely made me laugh.
Great succinct abstract as well.
I like how your topic focuses on the other side of the debate. We do often hear about how gaming is addictive and has many negative consequences, so it’s great you’re actively showing us the positive side.
My father played WoW for many, many years, and I grew up watching him play. He had constructed a guild and talked to them during raids. As he has severe anxiety, I definitely believe that these connections and community would have helped him feel like he belonged, and given him friendships with these people from all over the globe. Your paper is 100% right in the connection aspect. However, he had to quit due to the needs of family life. I do think that gaming can have a negative impact on your offline life vs online life requirements, but it helped him very positively as well.
It was great to read your article as it was very well researched.
In my draft paper (sadly not my final) I discussed Autcraft, which is a Minecraft server for children on the spectrum and their parents. It’s a safe space for them, and has a vetting process to protect the users. It has done great things for these kids’ sense of community and development of social skills. Here’s the link if you wanted to read more about it https://kateringland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/iConf_Ringland_cameraReady.pdf
Did you come across any case studies in particular that stuck out to you?
Do you agree with my point about online and offline life requirements?
Really good read, thank you for that.
Anne-Marie

Hi Anne-Marie!
Thank you so much for reading my paper and for your comments. Really great to hear you liked my paper, and the picture 🙂 it’s wonderful to hear that WoW helped your father in such a way, I think games can sometimes be underestimated in terms of their benefits to us. Also a shame to hear that he had to give it up; it certainly can be difficult to balance gaming with the commitments of our offline lives. I definitely agree with your point though, they can be addictive, which is why it’s so important to find that balance, if possible. Especially with games like WoW and other MMOs where there’s so many different facets and never a final goal or end to the game, essentially.

Oh thank you so much for that, I definitely will take a look. And I’ll go and have a read of yours, also.
There was a particular case study that I came across while doing my research, regarding the AR game Urgent: Evoke that focuses on solving some of the greater problems of the 21st century through the use of social collaboration. It has been referred to as a ‘10-week crash course on saving the world’ by scholar, and EVOKE game designer Dr Jane McGonigal (Fiegl, 2011). I actually didn’t end up mentioning it in my paper sadly, because I had already narrowed my focus to MMOs and by the time I stumbled upon the case study, it was already too late in the revision stage! But it’s here if you’d like to read more about it: https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/ritpu/2013-v10-n3-ritpu02405/1035578ar

Thanks again for your kind words and for reading my paper!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Fiegl, A. (2011, February) Jane McGonigal on How Computer Games Make You Smarter. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/jane-mcgonigal-on-how-computer-games-make-you-smarter-22964/

Hey again Vanessa!
I love that you and the rest of the video game papers community in this conference all write about how positive video games can be! It’s been great to raise awareness of the positive aspects of this exciting part of digital media.
I know, it’s so annoying how we find such good things to not include in our papers! It takes a lot to delete parts that are so good but contribute too much to the word count.
I do find it so interesting that there are so many types of games, with all sorts of intentions behind the games. We actually studied it as part of my art degree! Thank you for the paper on Urgent: Evoke, I liked the idea that it presented of giving users a way to actively practice their civic skills. The part about the homeless shelters having a community garden would aid society so much. Do you think video games are a great medium for creating commentary and encouraging discussion about society?
Anne-Marie

Hey Anne-Marie!

Thanks for your response! And yes so do I, love the positivity up in the stream. I think we’re all feeling the need to defend the bad rep gaming gets and just show everyone that there truly are positives associated with it to, so that’s really wonderful to see 😊
I agree! There’s definitely an art to it—one I have yet to perfect, but I suppose that’s another skill to be fine-tuned over this course.

Oh that’s awesome, hopefully I get a chance to do that too! I’ve had a few opportunities to study and write on games thus far, so that’s been really great 😊 You’re so welcome! Yeah, there are so many wonderful ideas compiled in that paper, if we could leverage any of those and implement them in real-life, it would certainly allow the world to, slowly but surely become a better place. It also makes me really want to try the game out for myself, I feel like it would be so rewarding to partake in that.
I do think so, yes! Particularly games like EVOKE where it has such strong links to society and you can sit back and really consider the implications certain ideas or actions would have in real life. Or really question why something is the way it is. Duncan actually posted a comment on my paper below, and he raised the point of how MMOs often allow us to experience this notion of an egalitarian society that doesn’t hinge upon real-world measurements of success such as status and wealth, and I think that’s a good example of this. Games that do this therefore may enable discourse on the structure of society, and allow us to reflect on why it is the way it is. I’m sure there are plenty of other instances of this, but those are two off the top of my head 🙂

Thanks for your comment Anne-Marie!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa!
I enjoyed your paper, being able to personally relate to it. I used to play World of Warcraft, in a guild, doing highly cooperative and organised dungeons and raids in groups of 5, 10, and 25. I’ve often found myself wondering how learning to raid benefited my current abilities to work in groups. In my group programming assignments, like the Project Management course, I got some good reviews from my teammates for being dedicated, friendly, and good at paying attention to what everyone said (as the note taker of the meetings). It feels like they were similar skills, taking similar faculties, and learning to raid in MMOs did contribute to working in a group as a student. It’s hard to be sure though 🙂
I thought I saw a contradiction in your paper until I thought a bit more about it, and now I think it just reveals something interesting.
First you said that traditional social barriers such as background, race, culture remain unrecognised, because we can choose the race of our avatars.
Then, you spoke about how socialising in a diverse MMO environment exposes people to lots of different viewpoints and perspectives.
These seemed to conflict because , can one really learn about a diversity of viewpoints from different backgrounds, without knowing the backgrounds of those they are talking to? There’s no connecting the viewpoints to a background. That doesn’t actually stop us from exposure to those viewpoints, it just separates it from a background.
Do you think not being able to connect new viewpoints one is being exposed to, with particular backgrounds, makes any difference?
Would it be more beneficial to personal development if we could attribute new viewpoints to people with known offline social barriers?

Luke

Hi Luke! Thank you very much for taking the time to read my paper, for your comments and also your questions! Ah yes, raiding. I was always a bit intimidated to participate in too many large-scale raids, but I enjoyed doing dungeons, and participating in so many of the other facets of the game. That’s great that you felt like some of those skills were somewhat transferrable or linked in a way 🙂 I think a good team-player is a good team player—whether that’s behind a screen, in the office, classroom etc.
Regarding your first question: my thought process in arguing that social barriers remain unrecognised was that this would be largely within the early initial stages of social interaction. As often is the case when people interact online, there are no immediately recognised differences, judgements, or stereotypes that might act as an initial deterrent to someone for starting a conversation with someone else—as could be the case in a real-life public venue, when striking up a conversation with a stranger, perhaps.
Therefore conversations that may not normally take place, have a higher chance of doing so. And then once they’re taking place, rapport/bonds will likely start building as people begin getting to know each other. Then at this point it’s possible that individuals start to become aware and learn of their differences resulting from different backgrounds and whatnot, and allowing that connection between difference, perspective and understanding to be made. If good social interaction has been occurring with someone, it’s likely that their background, race, nationality, etc. (which may have mattered or could have served as a barrier) wouldn’t matter. So I suppose my point was more about how a general tendency of the destruction of social barriers allows us to initiate interaction more effectively, and hopefully will lead to better interactions, greater perspectives and a more open mind as a result 🙂
I think lacking that connection between new viewpoints and differences in background sometimes can make a difference. When we understand our differences, motivations or reasons why things are a certain way, it can allow us to show more understanding or compassion towards the situation, person, viewpoint, etc. At the same time however, difference in background won’t always lead to, or account for difference in perspective. Sometimes it’s enough to accept that people will have different opinions because of how unique and diverse we all are.
For your third question, did you mean, would it be beneficial if we could attribute these new viewpoints to similar people offline? I think rather than automatically ascribing a viewpoint to someone offline (based on your experience with a similar person online), I think it would be more beneficial for our personal development in terms of allowing us to recognise that overall, they’re not that different from us, and having ideally eliminated any preconceived ideas of this type of person, make it easier for us to interact with them 🙂 hopefully that makes sense!

Thank you again for reading my paper, Luke. Hopefully I was able to answer your questions! 🙂

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa, thanks for the response!
That cleared it up a lot, thanks! It wasn’t quite a contradiction before, but it’s definitely far from one now. So it’s the initial meeting people where some knowledge of their background is lacking in MMO socialising, rather than being a permanent state.

That makes so much sense, and I suppose having being in a WoW guild myself I should have thought of that. I did get to know more about people’s backgrounds over time, interacting with them regularly through pseudonymous avatars.

There would still be a lot of exposure to new perspectives without getting to know the person and tie their viewpoint to a background, and the possible effects of that sure does fascinate me – whether that helps players reduce prejudices against people with certain backgrounds, even without knowing they are interacting with them.

Your thoughts on it in your last two paragraphs sound basically right to me. 🙂

Thanks!
Luke

Hey Luke!
No worries 😊 I’m very glad to hear that. And yep, that’s exactly it! All good, my wording was a little bit ambiguous so I’m really glad you raised that point, thank you.

Yes it does! Perhaps one would reach a point where they’ve been exposed to such a diverse range of viewpoints, beliefs, opinions, etc. that nothing would phase them anymore? That’s what one would maybe hope at least.

No worries, thanks for your comments Luke!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa

A rally interesting paper and quite challenging to the thought process and attitude I have towards gaming with a teenage son who spends a lot of time on these but with chronic anxiety is very isolated, so this has given me an insight into aspects I would not have ever considered as positives.
I think this statement “Any traditional social barriers such as background, race, culture, etc. therefore remain unrecognised and mostly irrelevant, further suggesting that individuals are able to consequently express themselves more comfortably than they perhaps would in an offline social dynamic” is so powerful but I would look to see how this can help transition into the real world, wouldn’t that be the best !
Do have any views on the difference between dedicated gaming vs addiction and the negatives that come with that, more so what do think is the best balance for gamers with outside life and their virtual community?
This statement “In terms of personal relationships, playing games with others has also been shown to build up ‘bonds of trust and cooperation’ ” also caught my attention and I wondered how this might translate into improving the family relationships if possible?
Very well done Vanessa in showing us another side of gaming and the positives that are there.

Regards

Gerard

Hi Gerard,

Thank you very much for reading my paper, and for your comments and questions.

Yes it certainly would be! My hopes is that the erosion of initial barriers and comfort in expressing oneself within the online space would highlight to individuals that they are capable of the positive social interactions arising from this and that there are people out there with whom they can get along and form friendships with (particularly for those who feel alienated or don’t have much social support in their offline lives). Ideally the positive response and affirmation they receive would translate into enhanced confidence, and hopefully self-image, especially if the bonds they’re establishing in-game become quite strong.
Of course there’s still the common trap one can fall into of thinking of themselves as likeable only within that online space, but I think there’s less separation than we may think between who we are online and who we are in ‘the real world’. I think comfort within an online space allows us to be more authentic and who we are online is still a version of ourselves. It may be a version of ourselves that is displayed to others less in online contexts, but it is still us having those positive social interactions, helping other people and forming those bonds in game. In addition to the opportunity for positive impacts upon self-image, it’s an opportunity to realise that maybe what’s perceived as a barrier to social interaction, in fact, isn’t important. And that traits previously regarded as negative, or as a handicap, actually don’t have to have that meaning attached. So if any one of those changes were able to happen, it really would be a great thing! 🙂
In terms of dedicated gamers and addiction, I think they differ in the sense that dedicated gaming becomes a part of one’s life, whereas in addiction, gaming essentially consumes and completely becomes one’s life. Based on what I’ve read in writing this paper and also from experiences over my life, dedicated gaming seems more structured and built into routine, while gaming addiction appears to become the routine in its entirety, if that makes sense? Dedicated gamers I’ve known largely game with people they know in real life, and also people they’ve formed close bonds with in-game—so gaming becomes a form of bonding activity. While gaming addicts alternatively, I think approach it a bit differently. It’s still socialising for them, but there tends to be a form of escapism attached to it, and sometimes even isolation from offline relationships.
I think balance for every individual would look slightly different, depending on how full or active a person’s offline life may be. For example, younger, maybe high-school aged individual would likely have more time to dedicate to gaming than say, an adult who works full-time and has a spouse and children. However, game designer and scholar Jane McGonigal (2011) recommends that games are most beneficial to us when played up to roughly 21 hours a week, or the equivalent of 3 hours a day. Supposedly beyond that is when the benefits start to decline.
Regarding your last question, trust bonds are created in a way, through unwritten promises you make when you agree to play a game with someone. You’re trusting one another with your time, trusting that the other person will cooperate with you that they’ll play by the rules until the end in order to achieve your collective goal. And the same would likely be applicable for family members playing together. You’re not only spending more time together but you’re trusting each other to cooperate and fulfill your end of the bargain. Additionally, you’re both having fun solving problems together, and you’re in a position to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from one another. All of which are going to, and have already been shown to have positive impacts upon relationships with both family and friends. We supposedly like people better after gaming with them too, so that’s a bonus! 😉
Thank you again for reading my paper, Gerard. I know that was a very long post but hopefully I was able to bring more clarity with my answers 🙂

Kind regards,

Vanessa

McGonigal, J. (2011, January 8). Practical advice for gamers. You found me. https://janemcgonigal.com/2011/01/08/practical-advice-for-gamers

Hi Vanessa,

I really enjoyed reading your paper and thought it was very well written – good job!
My paper (The role online gaming communities play in social bonding for marginalized individuals) is very closely related to yours and in it I also discuss the benefits online communities hold in removing social barriers such as race, age and gender, but more particularly for marginalised individuals such as people with ASD or people with physical disabilities.
If you have a moment I would love to hear your thoughts on my paper?

Hi Deidre! Thank you so much! 😊 Yes, I actually noticed yours when I was scrolling through the posts! I haven’t had a chance to comment on many papers yet, but yours sounded very interesting and it sounded quite similar to mine so I made a mental note to come back! But yes, I would definitely love to read it – I’ll pop over shortly and hopefully will let you know my thoughts by tonight.

Thank you again for reading!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa,

Congratulations on a well written and interesting paper. As someone who has never been a gamer, I found the way you handled the subject to be highly approachable and relatable.

I like the distinction you make between eroding social barriers, not relationships – I think that’s a really important point and one you have made well. Like Luke, I had questions around your claim that traditional social barriers “remain unrecognised and mostly irrelevant” (para. 3) as that seemed counter intuitive to your argument that players are “exposed to different types of people they may not normally encounter in the offline world” (para. 4). I’ve read over your response to Luke and understand where you were coming from with both of those statements, so thank you for clarifying!

The strongest part of your argument for me is the way in which MMOs can build responsibility and trust through gamers work in teams to tackle challenges. It’s an aspect that I wouldn’t have considered, but one that you have argued quite clearly. The types of skills developed during these challenges are very much transferrable to the offline world.

I would have loved to have seen a case study of Urgent: Evoke as well. Maybe another time?!

Thanks again for such an interesting read!
Anna

Hi Anna!

Thank you for reading my paper, and for your comment. Yes, I should probably have worded that differently! Highlighted to me further by Gerard’s comment was my choice of words in one particular instance of that argument wherein I wrote: ‘social barriers such as background, race, culture, etc. therefore remain unrecognised and mostly irrelevant…’ my choice of words there sort of implies that it’s a perpetual state but I did mean more so initially!

Yes, that’s probably my favourite perceived advantage of MMOs! I watched this really informative and honestly kind of brilliant TedTalk given by Jane McGonigal (who I keep referencing, but she truly is one of the biggest advocators for games as tools for personal development/was the key game designer for EVOKE) titled, Gaming can make a better world, and it was one of my sources for writing this paper and this particular argument. It was a unit viewing in another media class so you may have already seen it, but if not you should definitely take a look at it here: https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world
If I get another chance to write on this topic, EVOKE will definitely be in there 😉

Thanks again for reading and for your comments Anna!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Dear Vanessa,

Many thanks for commenting on my paper.

From reading yours, it seems we’ve both consumed a good deal of the same academic literature, and have reached similar conclusions. I went into this subject expecting the evidence to demonstrate that online gaming does indeed degrade social relationships. I was surprised to discover that the facts don’t appear to bear this out.

One thing that fascinates me about MMO gaming is the way in which social hierarchies in the offline world collapse, or elide into one another, in the online world. There’s a utopic element to this. I think most human beings feel a natural wish to live in egalitarian societies, where we’re judged primarily on our character and conduct rather than our status or income. Strangely, perhaps this desire finds its expression in the third spaces of online gaming more so than the real world.

I like how your essay is structured and written. Very clear and logical. Sometimes academic writing can be unnecessarily abstruse. Your paper is not consumed by jargon, and that’s a credit to your writing and thinking.

Duncan

Hi Duncan!

No worries at all. I am very excited to hear that my paper went against your expectations and enabled you to see some of the arguments from the other side!

I completely agree with that—and I would argue that that is definitely another part of the appeal of games. I can understand the desire to escape to a world like that, the constant value and emphasis placed on status and income can prove superficial and tiresome sometimes. MMOs represent that ideal that our character and good deeds matter and can change the (fictional) world, in a sense. Which is certainly a nice shift from the limitations posed by the real-world.
Oh thank you so much, that’s such a compliment – I really appreciate that. I experienced the same with your paper, also a testament your writing and thinking skills 😊

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and comment on my paper, Duncan.

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa

I enjoyed reading your paper! I mentioned in response to other papers here on gaming how I used to be a bit of a gamer many years ago (Commodore 64, NES and then first person shooters on the PC, oh and The Sims and Rollercoaster Tycoon hehe), well before Web 2.0. I have never played WoW and I don’t think I ever will because I know I’d get hooked too easily! I kind of prefer playing games on my own anyway, I feel like the whole idea of chatting in between play would distract me and I’d rather just play uninterrupted! But I can understand why others would want that interaction, especially with a game like WoW, if they’re working together on a task and it would no doubt become very immersive, particularly when getting feedback from other players, or support and encouragement. You’ve made some other great positive points on gaming, I can see that it would be another ‘place’ for people who might find it harder to make friends to gather and form friendships, as the pseudonymity means there is no judgement of character.

Well done!
Indre

Hi Indre!

Thanks so much for reading and commenting on my paper! 😊 Yesss, great to hear! Games are wonderful and while I do love them, even I find I’m not playing much these days, cause I’d never get anything done hahah.

Yeah, WoW can be really addictive! But then, I don’t think anymore than the Sims might be 😉 those two are the best at hooking you in.
Yeah, that’s totally fair. It can certainly be distracting and sometimes we need that alone time in-game (just as we do in the real world!) to escape and focus on our individual goals and objectives. But I guess a lot of the best games provide that balance. You have that choice where, if you feel you want to be more social and work towards collective goals with other players, you can; or alternatively, if you want to focus on your individual levelling up and individual objectives, you can do that too.

Thank you again for your comments Indre! 😊

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa and Indre,

I’m so happy to see there are others like me out there who don’t really engage in the chatting while playing games. I’ve been doing quite a bit of gaming while being locked down due to Covid-19, but in my experience I was looking for the alone time seeing as I have to spend so much time online communicating with my peers at work during the day.

I must say, I’ve always been intrigued by WoW but have never played it, and while doing my research for my paper I found that apparently the learning curve is quite steep. I was surprised though, to learn that there are such strong communities formed and bonds built through WoW. Do you think if The Sims had that same element there would be strong communities formed there as well?

Regards
Deidre

Hey again Deidre!

Yes, as an introvert I definitely know that feeling 😊

While it’s quite in-depth, rather than being a complicated game or difficult to learn, I think it’s more just a large quantity to learn. As I’ve mentioned to some of the other students on here, there are just so many different activities and tasks in the game—both collaborative and individual—that you can partake in. For instance, one of my personal favourites was collecting something called exploration achievements. Basically, there is an achievement system in place, that rewards you depending on your progression in different areas of the game. For example, you can get the ‘Going down?’ achievement award if you manage to fall 65 yards without dying, or you can get the ‘Eastern Kingdoms Explorer’ award by exploring all the regions listed within that region of the world, and you’ll also be awarded with an amount of points associated with that achievement, depending on its difficulty. So I would sometimes literally just spend my time running throughout the different lands, accumulating these achievements lol. It was something I enjoyed doing on my own, but would sometimes do with two of my friends, also.

Collecting exploration achievements, however, would be quite different in comparison to partaking in competitive player vs player matches where you’re required to collaborate with your team in order to take out the opposing team and complete your objectives. So those would just be two examples of the many different things you can do. And it’s evidently those social activities that are more strengthening to communal bonds within the game.

Hmm it’s difficult to say I think! My initial thoughts were that The Sims would likely be an entirely different game in that sense, but then again I think a Sims-type MMO would be really interesting. I think there are actually some that already emulate that more closely such as Second Life and IMVU, though I’m not entirely sure as I think they’re still more MMO than life simulation game? I do know that a lot of players of Second Life have boasted strong community ties though so it is certainly possible.

The Sims and WoW are among the most popular games to be created so I would definitely be keen for a hybrid though, haha!

Kind regards,

Vanessa

Hey Vanessa,

Your paper is probably one of my favorites from the conference, it was well presented and enjoyable to read. I love that you touch on how in-game tasks and quests can promote a sense of responsibility and purpose within a player – something I touch on in my own paper. Do you think games should develop with this notion in mind and design their quests to promote an even larger sense of purpose for the player, as opposed to often being an “after-thought” within the game itself?

Cheers for the read.

Sincerely,
Zac

Hey Vanessa.

Great paper, it was very interesting to read!
It was fascinating to see another way in which gaming communities promote trust and respect with each other and how they fit in so well with our regular lives. I agree with much of what you said as well as many of your previous responses to other replies!

Cheers, Lleyton.

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