From Tree House to Barracks
Games and CulturePublished 12 September 2006
Dmitri Williams, Nicolas Ducheneaut, Li Xiong, Yuanyuan Zhang, Nick Yee, Eric Nickell
Citations652
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score0.89
SNIP1.98
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TL;DR
Players of a popular massively multiplayer online game (World of Warcraft) were found to use the game to extend real-life relationships, meet new people, form relationships of varying strength, and also use others merely as a backdrop.
Abstract
A representative sample of players of a popular massively multiplayer online game (World of Warcraft) was interviewed to map out the social dynamics of guilds. An initial survey and network mapping of players and guilds helped form a baseline. Next, the resulting interview transcripts were reviewed to explore player behaviors, attitudes, and opinions; the meanings they make; the social capital they derive; and the networks they form and to develop a typology of players and guilds. In keeping with current Internet research findings, players were found to use the game to extend real-life relationships, meet new people, form relationships of varying strength, and also use others merely as a backdrop. The key moderator of these outcomes appears to be the game's mechanic, which encourages some kinds of interactions while discouraging others. The findings are discussed with respect to the growing role of code in shaping social interactions.
Keywords
Social SciencesPhysics and Astronomy
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