scholarly journals Yet Another September: AOL, World of Warcraft, and Niche Markets

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Op'tLand
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Pop Culture ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
South Park ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
America Online

Since it’s introduction in November 2004, World of Warcraft (WoW) has exploded in popularity within the sphere of Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMOs), dominating the field with over 11.5 million monthly subscribers, an order of magnitude larger than its nearest competitor (Woodcock, 2008). It has become a pop-culture phenomenon, parodied in South Park, promoted by William Shatner, and fiercely defended by its proponents. However, much of the current analysis of the game itself has been on the activities and functions that occur within its virtual space (Ducheneaut, et. al., 2006). The exogenous processes by which WoW came to dominate in its sphere have been under-explored, and the effect their marketplace entry had on established groups within that sphere has been neglected. In this paper, I propose that similarities to what WoW has accomplished in the MMO market can be found in the rise of America Online (AOL) in the early 1990’s, and its effect on the existing service providers and systems of the nascent internet. Exemplifying this is the opening of UseNet to its users in 1993, the infamous “September That Never Ended.”

scholarly journals Motivation and Risk Sentiment of Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) Players

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Malakhaeva
Keyword(s):  
Role Playing ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Modern Culture ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
High Motivation ◽  
Points Of View

The article examines massive multiplayer online role-playing games as a phenomenon of modern culture from philosophical, psychological and methodological points of view. It makes a survey of the latest foreign and national investigations MMORPG players motivations. It carries out an investigation of achieving success and motivation of avoiding misfortunes in terms of risk sentiment. The result of the investigation is a conclusion that gamers oftener have a higher motivation of achieving success than those who do not play, while combining it with a high motivation of avoiding failures. These are less numbered in their readiness to risk recklessly by choosing more careful variants of behavior. The players commitment to Goals and Process in the game speaks to the fact that high motivation of achieving the goal is combined with maximum diving into the game process. The players features of risk sentiment is that a person, by risking in the virtual space, checks potentially dangerous behavioral strategies in the game and can transfer them into the life already in this variant.

Interoperability, Learning Designs and Virtual Worlds

2010 ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
Helen Farley
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Collaborative Activities

Given the relatively high costs associated with designing and implementing learning designs in virtual worlds, a strategy for the re-use of designs becomes imperative. IMS LD has emerged as the standard for the description and expression of learning designs. This chapter explores some of the issues associated with using the IMS LD specification for learning designs in virtual worlds such as Second Life and multi-player online role playing games such as World of Warcraft. The main issues relate to the inadequate description of collaborative activities and the inability to alter the design ‘on-the-fly’ in response to learner inputs. Some possible solutions to these problems are considered.

Personality Impressions of World of Warcraft Players Based on Their Avatars and Usernames

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella M. Harari ◽  
Lindsay T. Graham ◽  
Samuel D. Gosling
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Model Analysis ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Lens Model ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
The World ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

Every week an estimated 20 million people collectively spend hundreds of millions of hours playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Here the authors investigate whether avatars in one such game, the World of Warcraft (WoW), convey accurate information about their players' personalities. They assessed consensus and accuracy of avatar-based impressions for 299 WoW players. The authors examined impressions based on avatars alone, and images of avatars presented along with usernames. The personality impressions yielded moderate consensus (avatar-only mean ICC = .32; avatar plus username mean ICC = .66), but no accuracy (avatar only mean r = .03; avatar plus username mean r = .01). A lens-model analysis suggests that observers made use of avatar features when forming impressions, but the features had little validity. Discussion focuses on what factors might explain the pattern of consensus but no accuracy, and on why the results might differ from those based on other virtual domains and virtual worlds.

scholarly journals GTFO!! - Positioning as interaction strategy in MMORPG communication

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 151-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Swoboda
Keyword(s):  
High Stress ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Common Misconception ◽  
Interaction Strategy ◽  
Active Interaction ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

OMG! Lol n00b :)! When gamers, especially of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) like World of Warcraft®, talk to one another they adapt language to their needs, as do all speakers. It is a common misconception that expressions such as smileys, acronyms and neologisms are a deterioration of current language. On the contrary, they can be regarded as instances of creativity, efficiency and in-group markers. Moreover, these expressions help gamers to position themselves in conversations, thus they can be regarded as active interaction strategies in the gaming discourse. But while communication is of crucial importance to achieve goals and for role-playing in MMORPGs, there are many communicative challenges for gamers, such as high-stress situations, missing paralinguistic cues and intercultural obstacles. By reference to an online-questionnaire, a self-compiled corpus and theories of pragmatics this paper sheds light on interaction strategies used by MMORPG-gamers.

Narrative and Conceptual Expertise in Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Alejandro Corredor ◽  
Leonardo Rojas Benavides
Keyword(s):  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Design Task ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Character Design ◽  
Domain Expertise ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

This article aims at investigating the differences among three groups having distinct levels of experience in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), when solving a character design task in the videogame World of Warcraft (WoW), and when planning how to use the character during gameplay. These groups consisted of inexperienced players, general experts in MMORPGs and specialized WoW domain experts. The evaluation showed that MMORPG experience developed character design abilities that could be applied to other videogames (e.g., general expertise skills). Such skills were related to the ability to identify deep features related to particular types of characters (e.g., Rogue). The results also showed that there are domain expertise specific abilities, which only experts in WoW have. Such abilities were related to building game descriptions that could be considered narrative in the cognitive sense of the term, because they include time, intention and interaction, and also to identifying WoW-specific variables.

Second Life

2012 ◽  
pp. 285-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galen Grimes ◽  
Michael Bartolacci
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Security Training ◽  
Information Security Training

Virtual worlds have become increasingly popular with the growth of high speed Internet access worldwide and online gaming. The popularity of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), such as World of Warcraft, and virtual worlds, such as Second Life, has created an opportunity for educators to build a learning platform that students can readily relate to. This paper explores some of the possibilities of utilizing one particular virtual world (Second Life) as a platform for network and information security training with a focus on the profiling of online behavior. In particular it describes the initial attempts of its use at one of the Pennsylvania State University’s campuses.

Redactioneel

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Law And Order ◽  
Kunnen Zijn ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Onderzoek Naar ◽  
Tijdschrift Voor ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

Dit nummer van het Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap bevat vijf artikelen over uiteenlopende onderwerpen.Het eerste artikel gaat over de websites van topmerken. In De relatie tussen objectieve en gepercipieerde interactiviteit combineren Hilde Voorveld, Peter Neijens en Edith Smit twee methoden van dataverzameling. Door middel van een inhoudsanalyse analyseren ze de interactieve functies op websites van 65 topmerken en door middel van een survey gaan ze na hoe door hun respondenten de mate van interactiviteit van diezelfde websites gepercipieerd wordt. Uit de resultaten van het onderzoek blijkt dat er zeker geen positieve lineaire relatie bestaat tussen de mate van interactiviteit zoals vastgesteld door de inhoudsanalyse en de gepercipieerde interactiviteit die in de resultaten van het survey naar voren komt. Zij concluderen dat de uniekheid van interactieve functies weleens belangrijker zou kunnen zijn dan de kwantiteit aan interactieve functies op een website.Annelore Deprez, Karin Raeymaeckers en Sarah Van Leuven hebben de berichtgeving over de Eerste en de Tweede Intifada onderzocht. In het artikel Framing van de Eerste en Tweede Intifada in de Vlaamse en Nederlandse pers. Een casestudy van De Morgen en het NRC Handelsblad tonen zij aan dat in deze kranten verschillende frames domineren. Daarbij focussen ze op het ‘law and order’ en het ‘injustice and defiance’ frame. Het ‘law and order’ frame was in het NRC Handelsblad zowel tijdens de Eerste als de Tweede Intifada dominant, terwijl tijdens de Eerste Intifada in de berichtgeving in De Morgen het ‘injustice and defiance’ frame sterk naar voren kwam.Het artikel dat is geschreven door Melanie De Vocht, Jan van Looy, Cédric Courtois en Lieven De Marez gaat over het fenomeen ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games’ (MMORPG). In Sociaal contact in een MMORPG. Een exploratief onderzoek naar de motivaties voor het spelen van World of Warcraft vanuit de uses & gratifications-benadering presenteren zij de resultaten van een online survey waaraan 1691 gamers hebben meegewerkt. In dit onderzoek zijn acht verschillende motieven om te gamen onderscheiden: escapisme, opwinding, immersie, zelfvoldoening, harde competitie, vaardigheden, sociale contacten in World of Warcraft en sociale contacten in het werkelijke leven. Deze motieven zijn in dit onderzoek ook gerelateerd aan de mate van betrokkenheid bij de online identiteiten van de gamer.In het artikel Een typologie van jonge nieuwsgebruikers in een multimediaal landschap maken Anna Van Cauwenberge, Leen d’Haenens en Hans Beentjes een indeling in nieuwsgebruikers. Zij hebben een survey uitgevoerd onder 1200 Vlaamse en Nederlandse jongeren en jongvolwassenen van 15 tot 35 jaar en op basis van hun tijdsbesteding aan combinaties van nieuwsplatformen identificeren zij verschillende typen. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat Vlaamse en Nederlandse jongeren online en traditionele nieuwsbronnen combineren waarbij het televisienieuws nog steeds een prominente rol speelt.Het laatste artikel in dit nummer van het Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap is een literatuuronderzoek naar de relatie tussen mediagebruik en risicogedrag van jongeren in het verkeer. In deze studie staan twee theoretische zienswijzen centraal: de cultivatietheorie en de theorie van het gepland gedrag. Kathleen Beullens en Astrid Dirikx presenteren de resultaten van dit literatuuronderzoek in Mediagebruik en risicogedrag van jongeren in het verkeer: een literatuuroverzicht.

scholarly journals I’M BY DEFAULT POLITE – POLITENESS AND POSITIONING IN MMORPGS

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Birgit Kramer
Keyword(s):  
High Stress ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Language Usage ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games) like World of Warcraft® require gamers to communicate in English regardless of their language competence in it. Therefore, English becomes the lingua franca of many gamers. Furthermore, gamers have to communicate effi ciently with one another in high stress situations causing another linguistic challenge. These conditions do not lead to the assumption that politeness is of any relevance in MMORPGs but rather that these games are hostile and impolite environments. A survey investigating the language usage of gamers, including a questionnaire and a selfcompiled corpus, sheds light on the language usage and politeness of gamers. This survey asks how and why gamers coming from different language backgrounds using ELF in MMORPGs utilize politeness to position themselves.

scholarly journals Introducing "Surveylady": A Case for the Use of Avatars as Part of Gaming Research

1969 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly M Bergstrom
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Research Subject ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

The popularity explosion of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMOs) such as World of Warcraft provides researchers with a venue to reach a wider research subject base than ever before. But what is the best way to collect data about these virtual worlds? This paper illustrates the rich potential of using an avatar to interact with MMO participants while players are immersed in the game’s virtual environment. Rather than observing from the periphery, this paper makes the case for the researcher to ‘dive right in’ and interview gamers within their (virtual) environment. This paper will argue that this methodology acts as a means for collecting rich, nuanced data about the gaming community.

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