scholarly journals One Game – One Effect? What Playing “World of Warcraft” Means for Adolescents and Their Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Flueggen ◽  
Stephanie Doyle ◽  
Hermann Veith
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Popular Media ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Game World ◽  
Role Playing Game

Playing online computer games is a common leisure activity for adolescents. The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of how playing these games influences adolescents' development.The method used was interviews with six participants who had played the Massive-Multiplayer-Online-Role-Playing-Game “World of Warcraft” when they were adolescents. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed drawing on grounded theory methods and on factors identified from developmental psychology.From the analysis it appeared that: (1) all six players had played the game differently and found individual ways to express themselves in the game; (2) these individual playstyles seemed to be related to the players’ personalities; and (3) in contrast to common claims in the popular media, playing the game probably supported a healthy development by providing social and personal aspects that their normal lives lacked.The main implication of these findings is that it cannot be assumed that all players use the same game in the same way, or that one game has the same effect on all players. While it makes research on the effect of games more complex, this observation is essential in understanding the diverse influences of computer games.

scholarly journals Virtual Sense of Community in a World of Warcraft® Storytelling Open Forum Thread

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Anthony Fabi Gui
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
New Members ◽  
Alternative Communities ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
Role Playing Game

World of Warcraft® (WoW), a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) extends to its members a virtual landscape of live gaming opportunities through such platforms as “dice” rolled character stats, open-ended story development, and interactive AI. These affordances are underpinned by a kind of virtual sense of community bringing players together in order to develop relationships and the self, adventure together, build up wealth, and overcome obstacles in order to complete quests. In addition to live game-play (or “in-world”) communities, WoW residents create alternative communities through rich online forums—here, new members are recruited into guilds, disputes are spawned and slayed, and seasoned warriors reminisce over worlds and lives that once- were. However, a third type of community is also evident through particular threads crafted within forums specifically for collaborative storytelling (or roleplaying). This paper examines sense of community—a sense of “belonging to, importance of, and identification with a community”—through one particular thread, “The Darkening Grove Tavern” under the forum World’s End Tavern using an adaptation of McMillan and Chavis’ theory and Boellstorff, Nardi, Pearce & Taylor’s ethnographic data collection methodology for qualitative analysis of virtual worlds . Findings from players’ story text (or “turns”) suggest that online storytelling forum threads exhibit a linguistically and semiotically branded sense of virtual community. 

scholarly journals Transformative (h)activism: Breast cancer awareness and the World of Warcraft Running of the Gnomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren B. Collister
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Civil Disobedience ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Cancer Awareness ◽  
Breast Cancer Awareness ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Role Playing Game

Players of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW) are accustomed to a transformative culture that appropriates off-line events and personas into virtual-world representations inside of the game. Following this culture, players have transformed an off-line event—the Race for the Cure, to benefit breast cancer charities—into an online event called the Running of the Gnomes with parameters and participation properties appropriate for the virtual world. This transformative event is a disruptive form of civil disobedience including elements of hacktivism. Though the event conforms to the game's culture and rules, the mass collective action of the Running of the Gnomes disrupts the player experience by flooding the game's chat boxes with messages about an off-line concern (breast cancer) and also disrupts the game itself by crashing the server through the sheer volume of player participation. This disruption is embraced as an integral part of the event and is one of the primary causes for the event's success as a fundraising activity.

scholarly journals The Popularity of Faerlina US - World of Warcraft Classic Server: Game Study Using Qualitative Research Methods on the World of Warcraft Classic Game Server

MEDIASI ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
Deddy Stevano H. Tobing
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Qualitative Research Methods ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Virtual Currency ◽  
The World ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Depth Interviews

This research discusses the popularity of Faerlina US which is one of the game server of the game World of Warcraft Classic (WoW Classic), a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) game version which is one of the World of Warcraft game version released on 26 August 2019. This study uses several qualitative research methods, namely participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and studies of previous studies. The results of this study indicate that the popularity of Faerlina US tends to be driven by the popularity of twitch.tv streamers who play on these servers. This research also shows that Faerlina has also become popular because it is interesting to be a place to conduct economic activities such as selling virtual items and conducting gold-virtual currency transactions into real money.

World of Warcraft

2019 ◽  
pp. 266-290
Author(s):  
Diego Lourenço Sá Pinto ◽  
Cláudio Xavier
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Role Playing Game

World of Warcraft (WoW), a game of the genre MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game), has proven to be a valuable field of study for researchers interested in understanding the functioning of online communities and social relationships in those communities. This chapter seeks, through literature review and interviews conducted within the game itself, from player/researcher immersion, to discuss the relationships of a group of players in a new context of relationship and (in)formation, considering the significant screen time, communication processes, identifications, and identity building.

Development, Identity, and Game-Based Learning

2009 ◽  
pp. 808-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yam San Chee ◽  
Kenneth Yang Teck Lim
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Construction Of Identity ◽  
Game World ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Dialogic Interaction

This chapter considers the use of computer games to help students construct their personal identity and develop dispositions that become active and responsible citizenship. It argues that the construction of identity requires both performative and narrative components and that these elements can be realized in a learning environment that affords students the opportunity to engage in a dialectic interplay between role playing in a game world and dialogic interaction outside of the game world. Research findings from an initial data set showing how students project their identities onto in-game characters are shared. The findings suggest that role playing in computer games can be effective in fostering attitudes, values, and beliefs desired of citizenship education.

scholarly journals CONTEMPORARY RECEPTION OF EDDIC THEMES IN NEW MEDIA: VIRTUAL 'NORDIC' IDENTITIES, CASE STUDY: DARK AGE OF CAMELOT

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-54
Author(s):  
Ester Jiresch ◽  
Vincent Boswijk
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
New Media ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Television Programs ◽  
Identity Constructions ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Poetic Edda ◽  
Popular Television

This article discusses the most recent (twenty-first century) development in reception and adaptation of Nordic mythology (particularly referring to the Prose and Poetic Edda) and the appropriating of Nordic identities (stereotypes) that is taking place in the so-called new media. In the last two decades the reception of Nordic mythology or Nordic 'themes' in different new media like film, comic books, heavy metal music and computer games has exploded. New media are generally considered expressions of 'popular' culture and have therefore not yet received much scholarly attention. However, since those media are growing notably and especially computer games (console and online applications) reach an enormous audience.Scientific interest in them has increased in recent years. Miller mentions the 'sexiness of Vikings in video games, the pretense of Viking-like settings for popular television programs […]' (Miller, 2014, p. 4). The case study is Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC – Mythic Entertainment 2001) which is a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that is currently (2015) still available to play online. We will show examples of themes (characters, narratives, objects etc.) deriving from Eddic texts and how they are represented and deployed in the game. Since the representation of 'Nordic' identity is a key feature in the game's construction, it will therefore be addressed as well. The fictional world of DAoC consists of three realms – Albion, Hibernia and Midgard – that are at war with each other. Their (human) inhabitants are respectively based on medieval Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Norse tribes that differ distinctively in their character traits. Our goal is to elaborate on the representation of identity traits of the fictional 'Norse' races (as defined by the game) that appear in DAoC. We will scrutinize if and how the game uses older or more current concepts of (national) identity. In order to do so, an overview of Scandinavian / Nordic identity constructions that have been popular and / or widespread from antiquity will be presented, via medieval sources to romanticism and nineteenth century nationalism until current discussions of national identity.

Addiction in World of Warcraft

2011 ◽  
pp. 54-74
Author(s):  
Craig Pragnell ◽  
Christos Gatzidis
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

This chapter presents an investigation in determining whether players are addicted, or show signs of addiction, to the Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. Criteria to ascertain addiction in World of Warcraft players were developed based on well-documented theories in the area. A questionnaire was used in order to obtain data for analysis. This was distributed to a population of World of Warcraft players by use of advertisement on guild websites and on the official game forum. The results of the questionnaire show that 11.86% (n=21) of respondents matched the developed criteria of addiction in World of Warcraft. These respondents are considered to be addicted or are at “High Risk” of being addicted. This figure is confirmed by other studies of addiction levels in MMORPGs undertaken by existing research.

Questing for Standards

2011 ◽  
pp. 81-97
Author(s):  
Mark G. Elwell
Keyword(s):  
Second Life ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Role Playing Game

This chapter reports on movements toward de facto standards for role playing games in the freely accessible and configurable shared virtual environment of Second Life. All users can not only freely join, but also construct and implement role playing games of their own design. Consequently, new games are constantly emerging, and others either persisting or failing. The resulting body of practice has implications for business, technological, and social dimensions of computer games. To elucidate these implications, this chapter presents the case of the Role Play Nexus, a venue created for role playing game designers, managers, and players to share experiences, questions, resources, and proposals for sustainable ventures and communities in Second Life. Issues, controversies, and problems are identified, and solutions and recommendations discussed. Source material is drawn from transcripts of public lectures, discussions and demonstrations, from interviews, and from participant observation.

USERS’ EXPERIENCE IN ROLE-PLAYING GAME: MEASURING THE PLAYER’S GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Ahmad ◽  
Azizah Jaafar ◽  
Mohd Fairuz Iskandar ◽  
Tarisa Makina
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Role Playing Game

This study is related to the users’ gaming experience which is gained through a set of users’ activities to play computer games. The activities are designed based on the features of games that are desired by the users. As a result, the RPG computer games have been designed and user gaming experience via questionnaire has been tested. There are seven constructs measuring the immersive, flow, competence, tension, challenge, positive affect and negative affect. The results showed the constructs that lead to positive values is indicated by the mean value for the user’s gaming experience is very good, and vice versa for the mean construct geared negative value

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