‘Friendships formed with other players keep players coming back’ (Humphries, 2005: 41). The social networks created in games such as the World of Warcraft are vital for the longevity of the game and also for the people within it. These networks can be created using a variety of methods throughout the game as social interaction is a prevalent and a core component of it. As a result, these networks can affect immaterial labour as they create plentiful opportunities for gamers to meet potential employees and employers as well as creating jobs within the game itself.
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role playing game where players choose to play either as a member of the Horde or Alliance to complete various quests and ‘raids’. Players select their race and class which come with unique pathways of skills, abilities and talents and can learn various professions along the way to enhance their character. The story is determined by the actions of the player and the people that are met throughout. Furthermore, some quests require groups to complete due to their complex nature and difficulty. Therefore, the social networks that are created within the game help to enhance the gaming experience for the player and these relations are vital for overall mastery of the game. Besides conversing with the non-playing characters within the game, there are many methods in which player to player interaction can occur.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Platfoms for Social Networking
PartiesThese refer to brief encounters with players who group together in order to achieve a common goal. These may include instances whereby dungeons can only be completed in a group, or quests where chance of survival is increased with the help of others. Therefore, the game is tailored so that some social interaction must occur in order for a player to progress through it. Gamers are also required to select their company carefully to contain a range of different skills and abilities to fulfil various roles in the group for example, ‘tanking’ or ‘healing’. Generally, such groups are formed and disbanded within one period of gameplay and would only form if there was a common purpose. Chance acquaintances such as these increase social networking opportunities and are encouraged within the game.
Friends
The ‘friends’ list is generally reserved for those who are already known outside of the game or for people that gamers have enjoyed working with in parties. It enables them to stay in contact with their ‘friends’ and to send them instant messages in the game. It is not unlike any other instant messaging service such as MSN or Yahoo! Messenger in that acquaintances are added to a list to whom players can chat to if they are online. Contact with friends is more regular and greater relationships are able to form. Gamers can consequently develop strong relationships with others and maintain them through this method. The game can even become just another platform where players can chat and interact with their friends and the gameplay becomes a secondary aspect. In fact, many experienced players stay within the game purely to stay in contact with the friends they have made (Humphries, 2005:41). Therefore, the ‘friends’ list is another important means for social networking within World of Warcraft.
Guilds
Guilds are formed usually by large groups of people who are friends outside the game or by those who become friends within the game. They allow a place for sharing resources such as trade material and gold. It is generally expected that guild members will help each other out if a need arises and pool resources to enhance gameplay for members. Guilds often have websites outside of the game which list guild events and instruct in the ways of the game. The guild is a community of people within the game, similar to ordinary communities in society today. Generally they share a common interest, for example ‘raiding’, and structure the guild around that. Furthermore ranks exist within the guild denoting social status and it is up to higher ranked members to promote and punish lower ranked members as they see fit. It can be said that the guild is like a ‘play community’ in that the guild supports each individual and the individual supports the group. Thus, there is a mutual benefit for both parties, creating deeper social connections in an inclusive environment (Harrigan, 2007:315).
World of Warcraft community as a whole
The methods mentioned above are built into the game, specifically designed for player to player interaction. However, the larger World of Warcraft playing community itself is a sea of networking possibilities. Players exist everywhere that can become potential friends, acquaintances and guild members. Similar to all communities, norms evolve and culture forms. Both Horde and Alliance have their own separate culture, with Alliance members being typically of a younger demographic than that of the Horde. Players are expected to be courteous to each other and to help one another. As a result, language evolves and words such as ‘tank’ and ‘ding’ frequent everyday speech. Furthermore, norms develop such as the expectation for players to congratulate you (‘gratz’) when you level up (‘ding’). These customs suggest that a community is prevalent within the game, and like with any community, this creates various opportunities for networking.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of this online gaming community is that it is not restricted by geographic barriers, differing from many ‘real world’ communities. Consequently, gamers can network with like-minded players from all over the globe, expanding the reach of possible networking chains and increasing opportunities for profiting from these acquaintances. Gamers can simultaneously chat to many people from all around the world. As all players play the game due to their liking of it, the chances that gamers will find somebody in the game who shares their interests is greatly increased. Therefore, it is highly probable that a gamer would be able to create strong ties with contacts from around the globe which in turn would increase their chances for finding international employment. Therefore, the international nature of the web allows access to networking possibilities which would be unrealised without it.
However, this networking potential is limited to those who play and have access to the game. Thus, in reality, gamers are only able to connect to those with access to an Internet connection, distancing a large proportion of the world due to socio-economic barriers. This digital divide infers that players can reach only affluent members in society who have the time and money to invest in such a game. Furthermore, the gaming community is largely male dominated, making up 60% of gamers around the world (De Peuter 2005:4). Female players are increasing in number, however although female characters do exist in World of Warcraft, often they are controlled by male players. This can be seen as a way to increase chances of social interaction, as female characters are often pitied upon in the game, and are therefore more likely to be helped out by nearby male characters. However in general, the female populace is generally hard to network with through gaming. Thus although massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft can in theory enable gamers to network with any individual in the world, the reality is that this is limited due to the digital divide and individual tastes and preferences.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of this online gaming community is that it is not restricted by geographic barriers, differing from many ‘real world’ communities. Consequently, gamers can network with like-minded players from all over the globe, expanding the reach of possible networking chains and increasing opportunities for profiting from these acquaintances. Gamers can simultaneously chat to many people from all around the world. As all players play the game due to their liking of it, the chances that gamers will find somebody in the game who shares their interests is greatly increased. Therefore, it is highly probable that a gamer would be able to create strong ties with contacts from around the globe which in turn would increase their chances for finding international employment. Therefore, the international nature of the web allows access to networking possibilities which would be unrealised without it.
However, this networking potential is limited to those who play and have access to the game. Thus, in reality, gamers are only able to connect to those with access to an Internet connection, distancing a large proportion of the world due to socio-economic barriers. This digital divide infers that players can reach only affluent members in society who have the time and money to invest in such a game. Furthermore, the gaming community is largely male dominated, making up 60% of gamers around the world (De Peuter 2005:4). Female players are increasing in number, however although female characters do exist in World of Warcraft, often they are controlled by male players. This can be seen as a way to increase chances of social interaction, as female characters are often pitied upon in the game, and are therefore more likely to be helped out by nearby male characters. However in general, the female populace is generally hard to network with through gaming. Thus although massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft can in theory enable gamers to network with any individual in the world, the reality is that this is limited due to the digital divide and individual tastes and preferences.
Play As Work
The social networks that are created within the game have various implications for immaterial labour. The distinction between play and work has blurred over time due to the increases in new technology and the creation of games such as World of Warcraft.One of the major issues surrounding massively multiplayer online games is the selling of avatars and the ‘farming’ of game resources. Gamers can create an account with Blizzard and use that account to develop high-level avatars, equipped with powerful weapons and then sell these accounts to make a profit in real life. Similarly, gamers have been known to sell virtual World of Warcraft gold on eBay to make a real life profit. This is commonly known as ‘gold farming' - players creating gold within a game account to sell to others for real-world money. This is usually accomplished through repetitive, high resource earning, in-game actions, achieved through game hacking. These ‘farmers’ create accounts for this sole purpose and make a profit in the real world. Such companies are known as ‘shops’. Blizzard has subsequently closed down several farming accounts due to its strict policing of the realms. However, there is an obvious discrepancy between farming statistics in the USA than in Europe, with virtual gold in Europe being traded at a smaller exchange rate than that of the USA (Sheffield University).
Although this may be the case, social networking has little effect on this form of immaterial labour. Its main influence is that the social networks provide potential customer to sell such items to and therefore enable ‘farming’ companies to meet gamers within the game to whom they can sell their material. Most ‘shops’ do not however operate in this manner. It is more common for them to ‘spam’ general communication chains with announcements on gold prices and other items of value. Therefore, they spend little time cultivating social relationships within the games.
However, on the other hand, social networks themselves cannot be bought and sold - they are less tangible than avatars. Each character would most likely have a list of ‘friends’ and ‘guild members’ who have been potential contacts of the original gamer, but the relationship that the gamer would have had with each of them is unique and cannot be replicated and transferred. The avatar itself does not hold the reputation and status that the original player has created for it (Humphries, 2005:41). Even if the new gamer poses as the original, contacts will eventually uncover the truth and these relationships would not only sour with the new player, but could also be detrimental for the original, tainting his reputation.
Perhaps the greatest impact that in-game social networking achieves on immaterial labour is that with every person met, comes new opportunities for real-world employment. Similar to real-world networking, acquaintances can inform friends about job opportunities and even offer them jobs. By expanding their online network, gamers increase the chances of befriending potential work colleagues and contacts from across the globe. Cases have arisen in many games whereby players who create modifications for games are later employed by gaming companies to replicate their ‘mods’ and ‘skins’ for mass production (De Peuter 2005:9). These ‘modders’ use authoring tools which have been packaged with many games to create new designs for scenarios, such as weaponry, missions and appearance. Gaming companies have subsequently re-purchased these modifications to incorporate them into the design of the game, creating employment opportunities for their creators (De Peuter 2005:9). Therefore, people can use play as a platform to find work and can even be deemed to be ‘working’ through their employment search. It is only through these relationships that these possibilities are created as strong social connections can result in bountiful opportunities for many. Through World of Warcraft, the potential for networking with like-minded individuals is increased, therefore in turn increasing the potential for building strong relationships, and consequently increasing job opportunities for the gamer.
Work As Play
Although people can create work by playing the game, work is also created through the play of the game. Organisations employ people to play and test the game to eradicate bugs and improve it. World of Warcraft constantly undertakes maintenance checks and creates patches to improve gaming experience. Once again social networking has little effect on this, however, as discuss previously, gamers have the potential to become product testers and creators through the contacts that they make within the game, with employers creaming off the talented players to work for their company.
Blizzard however gains profits from play – it employs people to play the game to discover ways to improve it while at the same time, reaping the profits from players who stay in the game. Many people stay in the game due to the social connections that they have formed within it. World of Warcraft is a subscription-based game, with players paying approximately $15 USD for a month’s worth of game play. However, the question arises as to why gamers would continue to pay this amount to play the game when other games are available on the market for less. Perhaps the greatest reasons are the social connections and avatar development that are created in the game. Players have spent many hours developing their character and building their reputation within the world – its value represents both ‘emotional and time commitments’ (Humphries, 2005:41). To switch games or even create a new character again would mean to start from scratch, once again building and maintaining the character and relationships. The cost of switching to a new product is simply too high for players and consequently, this creates loyalty towards the game and enables Blizzard to reap the rewards (Humphries, 2005:41). Furthermore, the friends that gamers have made within the game would be lost should they stop playing it and therefore, many would stay within the game just to maintain these social connections. Thus, the social networking that occurs within the game causes game loyalty and consequently, Blizzard profits from the play of gamers who are ‘forced’ to stay within the game.
Conclusion
Social networking has many implications for immaterial labour. The networks formed within the World of Warcraft through the use of guilds, parties and the community at large, enable profitable transactions to occur. Firstly, gamers can use their networks as contacts to find potential real-world employment, similar to how they would use their everyday social contacts. As this networking is not limited geographically, players have potential access to employers and workers from all around the world. Secondly, players stay within the game itself due to the social connections that are developed, enabling Blizzard to make profits in this immaterial gameplay. Although other forms of immaterial labour exist within the game, such as avatar selling and gold farming, networking has little impact on this except for discovering potential buyers for these products, as relationships and reputations cannot be bought and sold as commodities.
Blizzard however gains profits from play – it employs people to play the game to discover ways to improve it while at the same time, reaping the profits from players who stay in the game. Many people stay in the game due to the social connections that they have formed within it. World of Warcraft is a subscription-based game, with players paying approximately $15 USD for a month’s worth of game play. However, the question arises as to why gamers would continue to pay this amount to play the game when other games are available on the market for less. Perhaps the greatest reasons are the social connections and avatar development that are created in the game. Players have spent many hours developing their character and building their reputation within the world – its value represents both ‘emotional and time commitments’ (Humphries, 2005:41). To switch games or even create a new character again would mean to start from scratch, once again building and maintaining the character and relationships. The cost of switching to a new product is simply too high for players and consequently, this creates loyalty towards the game and enables Blizzard to reap the rewards (Humphries, 2005:41). Furthermore, the friends that gamers have made within the game would be lost should they stop playing it and therefore, many would stay within the game just to maintain these social connections. Thus, the social networking that occurs within the game causes game loyalty and consequently, Blizzard profits from the play of gamers who are ‘forced’ to stay within the game.
Conclusion
Social networking has many implications for immaterial labour. The networks formed within the World of Warcraft through the use of guilds, parties and the community at large, enable profitable transactions to occur. Firstly, gamers can use their networks as contacts to find potential real-world employment, similar to how they would use their everyday social contacts. As this networking is not limited geographically, players have potential access to employers and workers from all around the world. Secondly, players stay within the game itself due to the social connections that are developed, enabling Blizzard to make profits in this immaterial gameplay. Although other forms of immaterial labour exist within the game, such as avatar selling and gold farming, networking has little impact on this except for discovering potential buyers for these products, as relationships and reputations cannot be bought and sold as commodities.
Bibliography
1. Blizzard Entertainment, ‘World of Warcraft Website’ available online at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com
2. Blizzard Entertainment, (2004) ‘World of Warcraft’ game and manual.
3. Greig de Peuter and Nick Dyer-Witheford, ‘A Playful Multitude: Mobilising and Counter-Mobilising Immaterial Game Labour,’ Fibreculture Journal, Issue 5, 2005; available online at http://journal.fibreculture.org/issue5/depeuter_dyerwitheford.html
4. Humphreys, S. (2005). ‘Productive Players: Online Computer Games’ Challenge to Conventional Media Forms. In Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies 2(1), 37-51
5. Pat Harrigan and Noah Wardrip-Fruin, (2007) ‘Second person: role-playing and story in games and playable media’ Cambridge mass: MLT press, Cambridge.
6. Sheffield University, ‘WoW Gold Price research: A World of Warcraft economic study. Available online at http://www.gamerprice.com/wow-gold-study.html
2. Blizzard Entertainment, (2004) ‘World of Warcraft’ game and manual.
3. Greig de Peuter and Nick Dyer-Witheford, ‘A Playful Multitude: Mobilising and Counter-Mobilising Immaterial Game Labour,’ Fibreculture Journal, Issue 5, 2005; available online at http://journal.fibreculture.org/issue5/depeuter_dyerwitheford.html
4. Humphreys, S. (2005). ‘Productive Players: Online Computer Games’ Challenge to Conventional Media Forms. In Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies 2(1), 37-51
5. Pat Harrigan and Noah Wardrip-Fruin, (2007) ‘Second person: role-playing and story in games and playable media’ Cambridge mass: MLT press, Cambridge.
6. Sheffield University, ‘WoW Gold Price research: A World of Warcraft economic study. Available online at http://www.gamerprice.com/wow-gold-study.html
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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