Social Interactions in Online Gaming

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Griffiths ◽  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Sabine M. Grüsser ◽  
Ralf Thalemann ◽  
Helena Cole ◽  
...  

This paper briefly overviews five studies examining massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The first study surveyed 540 gamers and showed that the social aspects of the game were the most important factor for many gamers. The second study explored the social interactions of 912 MMORPG players and showed they created strong friendships and emotional relationships. A third study examined the effect of online socializing in the lives of 119 online gamers. Significantly more male gamers than female gamers said that they found it easier to converse online than offline, and 57% of gamers had engaged in gender swapping. A fourth study surveyed 7,069 gamers and found that 12% of gamers fulfilled at least three diagnostic criteria of addiction. Finally, an interview study of 71 gamers explored attitudes, experiences, and feelings about online gaming. They provided detailed descriptions of personal problems that had arisen due to playing MMORPGs.

Author(s):  
Mark Griffiths ◽  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Sabine M. Grüsser ◽  
Ralf Thalemann ◽  
Helena Cole ◽  
...  

This paper briefly overviews five studies examining massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The first study surveyed 540 gamers and showed that the social aspects of the game were the most important factor for many gamers. The second study explored the social interactions of 912 MMORPG players and showed they created strong friendships and emotional relationships. A third study examined the effect of online socializing in the lives of 119 online gamers. Significantly more male gamers than female gamers said that they found it easier to converse online than offline, and 57% of gamers had engaged in gender swapping. A fourth study surveyed 7,069 gamers and found that 12% of gamers fulfilled at least three diagnostic criteria of addiction. Finally, an interview study of 71 gamers explored attitudes, experiences, and feelings about online gaming. They provided detailed descriptions of personal problems that had arisen due to playing MMORPGs.


Author(s):  
Davinder Ghuman ◽  
Mark Griffiths

One key limitation with the contemporary online gaming research literature is that much of the published research has tended to examine only one genre of games (i.e., Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games). Three relatively little studied online games are First Person Shooter (FPS) Games, Role Play Games (RPG), and Real Time Strategy (RTS) Games. Therefore, the current study examines player behaviour and characteristics in these three relatively under-researched online gaming genres. The study examines the differences between the three different game genres in terms of: (i) the demographic profile of players, (ii) the social interactions of players including the number and quality of friends, and how gaming related to real life friendship, and (iii) motivations to play specific game genres. The sample comprised 353 self-selected players. The RPG genre had the highest percentage of female players. The number of hours played per week varied significantly between the genres. RPG players played significantly longer hours than FPS or RTS players. In relation to playing motivation, achievement levels were highest for the FPS genre with RPG genre having the lowest achievement levels. RPG players had the highest immersion levels. RTS players were significantly less likely to report having made friends than players of the other two genres.


Author(s):  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

The popularity of Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) has risen dramatically over the last decade. Some gamers spend many hours a day in these virtual environments interacting with other gamers, completing quests, and forming social groups. The present study set out to explore the experiences and feelings of online gamers. The study comprised 71 interviews with online gamers (52 males and 19 females) from 11 different countries. Many themes emerged from the analyses of the interview transcripts including (i) engaging in social interaction, (ii) being part of a community, (iii) learning real-life skills, (iv) gaining in-game rewards, (v) playing never-ending games (vi) escaping from real life, (vii) playing longer than intended, and (viii) being obligated towards other gamers in-game. These findings specifically showed the many positives of online gaming (including the social interaction and the community aspects of belonging) as well as the in-game features within MMORPGs that in some cases can lead to excessive online gaming. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to previous qualitative and quantitative research in the area.


Gamification ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 296-313
Author(s):  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

The popularity of Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) has risen dramatically over the last decade. Some gamers spend many hours a day in these virtual environments interacting with other gamers, completing quests, and forming social groups. The present study set out to explore the experiences and feelings of online gamers. The study comprised 71 interviews with online gamers (52 males and 19 females) from 11 different countries. Many themes emerged from the analyses of the interview transcripts including (i) engaging in social interaction, (ii) being part of a community, (iii) learning real-life skills, (iv) gaining in-game rewards, (v) playing never-ending games (vi) escaping from real life, (vii) playing longer than intended, and (viii) being obligated towards other gamers in-game. These findings specifically showed the many positives of online gaming (including the social interaction and the community aspects of belonging) as well as the in-game features within MMORPGs that in some cases can lead to excessive online gaming. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to previous qualitative and quantitative research in the area.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 141-157
Author(s):  
Žaneta Grinkevičiūtė ◽  
Jorūnė Vyšniauskytė-Rimkienė

Kauno „Atžalyno“ vidurinė mokyklaPartizanų g. 46, Kaunas. Tel. (8 37) 31 19 73El. paštas: [email protected] Didžiojo universitetasDonelaičio g. 52 Kaunas. Tel. (8 37) 32 78 46El. paštas: [email protected]  Prevencinė socialinių įgūdžių lavinimo programa buvo parengta ir įdiegta bendrojo lavinimo mokyklos 14–16 metų paauglių klasėje. Šešiolikos užsiėmimų programą vedė profesionalus socialinis darbuotojas. Socialiniams paauglių įgūdžiams lavinti naudoti instruktavimo, modeliavimo, vaidmenų žaidimų, elgesio generalizacijos ir kiti darbo grupėje metodai. Tyrime naudotas trianguliacijos metodas: taikytos kokybinio ir kiekybinio tyrimų prieigos. Atliktas veiklos tyrimas atskleidė, kad socialinių įgūdžių lavinimo programa bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje yra iš dalies veiksminga. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad berniukai tapo atviresni, pradėjo labiau reikšti savo jausmus ir domėtis, kaip jaučiasi kiti bendraamžiai. Tyrime dalyvavę paaugliai pradėjo dažniau inicijuoti pokalbius, tarpusavio sąveikose tapo drąsesni. Grupės darbe pokytis buvo nustatytas merginų tarpe, jos tapo vieningesnės, „drąsiai dalindavosi savo situacijomis bei įsitraukdavo į grupinį darbą“. Remiantis atlikto tyrimo duomenimis, bendrojo lavinimo mokykloms rekomenduojama organizuoti nuolatinius ir ilgalaikius socialinių įgūdžių lavinimo užsiėmimus, kuriuose galėtų dalyvauti skirtingą socialinę kompetenciją turintys vaikai ir paaugliai.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: socialiniai įgūdžiai, prevencinis socialinių įgūdžių lavinimas, socialinių įgūdžių lavinimas mokykloje.Preventive Training of Social Skills at School: Development of Social Skills in AdolescentsŽaneta Grinkevičiūtė, Jorūnė Vyšniauskytė-RimkienėSummaryA preventive program of training social skills was developed and implemented in-class for 14–16-year-old adolescents in a regular secondary school. The social skills training program of sixteen workshops was led by a professional social worker. The methods of instruction, modeling, role-playing games, generalization were used to develop social skills of adolescents. In the research, the triangulation method (qualitative and quantitative) was used. The action research revealed that the social skills training program was partially effective. The boys’ behaviour mostly changed according to data of the assertiveness and empathy scales. The boys became more open; moreover, they began to express their feelings and show interest in other peoples’ feelings. Adolescents began to initiate conversations and became assertive in interactions with others. In group work, the girls showed more changes in their behaviour (became more united, were sharing their situations, were actively involed in the group work). According to the data of the research, recommendations were prepared for organizations and institutions working with adolescents in organizing stable and long-term social skills training sessions including participants with different levels of social competence development.Key words: social skills, preventive training of social skills, training of social skills at school.


Author(s):  
Russell Stockard Jr.

An increasingly important area of gender and information technology is that of Internet, computer, and video games. Besides women increasingly playing conventional entertainment-oriented or role-playing games, there are a number of pertinent developments in gaming. They are adver-games, casual games, games for change or “serious” games, and games aimed at women and/or developed by women. Computer and video games are a significant area of interest for a number of reasons. In the United States, games generate substantially more annual revenue than motion picture exhibition, totalling over $11 billion for three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004 (Hollywood Game Daemon, 2004; Traiman, 2005). Research by the Entertainment Software Association indicates that: half of all Americans play computer and video games, with women making up the second largest (demographic) group of gamers. Games are steadily becoming a dominant way that people spend their leisure time, often stealing time away from traditional media, like television. (Games for change mentioned at NYC Council Hearing, 2005) In addition, games often reinforce traditional gender roles (Cassells & Jenkins, 2000) and reproduce negative racial and ethnic stereotypes, even as male players comfortably assume female identities (Baker, 2002). As greater numbers of consumers spend time gaming, the advertising industry has taken notice and is following the population into the game world with advertising. The game enthusiasts comprise a desirable target, freely spending on games and other products. Gamers spend an estimated $700 a year per capita on games (Gamers are spending 700 dollars a year, 2005).


Author(s):  
Dal Yong Jin

This chapter maps out the growth of locally based digital games. In the twenty-first century, the New Korean Wave has been expanding with the rapid growth of digital culture, in particular with online gaming. The rapid growth of the Korean digital game industry, including online gaming, and its export into the Western market have raised a fundamental question of whether digital culture has changed the nature of the Korean Wave, from a regionally focused intracultural flow to include a Western-focused contraflow. The chapter attempts to discuss the ways in which local online games, in particular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), have advanced contraflow. In addition, it discusses a changing trend in the digital game sector, which has been occurring due to both the increasing role of China's game industries and the emergence of mobile gaming in the smartphone era. It also maps out the process by which Korean online games are appropriated for Western game users in a form of “glocalization”in both content and structure. Finally, the chapter articulates whether this new trend can diminish an asymmetrical cultural flow between the West and the East.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Meredith ◽  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fang You ◽  
Jianping Liu ◽  
Xinjian Guan ◽  
Jianmin Wang ◽  
Zibin Zheng ◽  
...  

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have great potential as sites for research within the social and human-computer interaction. In the MMORPGs, a stability player taxonomy model is very important for game design. It helps to balance different types of players and improve business strategy of the game. The players in mobile MMORPGs are also connected with social networks; many studies only use the player's own attributes statistics or questionnaire survey method to predict player taxonomy, so lots of social network relations' information will be lost. In this paper, by analyzing the impacts of player's social network, commercial operating data from mobile MMORPGs is used to establish our player taxonomy model (SN model). From the model results, social network-related information in mobile MMORPGs will be considered as important factors to pose this optimized player taxonomy model. As experimental results showed, compared with another player taxonomy model (RA model), our proposed player taxonomy model can achieve good results: classification is more stable.


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