“For the Horde”: Players’ Collaborative Actions in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

EasyChair Preprint 1096

Abstract

The game mechanics of MMOGs are inclined to afford team collaboration and social interaction, which implies that online games are more than attractive visual effects. This article explores how do players collaborate in MMOGs, and possible social meanings they obtained in game communities. 10 participants were recruited in our interview, and their interpretations of game experiences suggest that players trust each other on the basis of building reputation via symbols, discourses and behaviors in online game world. Besides, they could achieve collaborative action when the mutual benefits are gained by sharing sources, skills and information.  Indeed, players continuously devote all of the times and efforts to support social interaction, hoping their game community will be persistent but not intending to raise the meaning of it. The magic circle of game world cannot be sealed completely, while collaborative experience gained in game playing could be appropriated under certain conditions.

Keyphrases: collective action, game mechanics, online community, social interaction

@booklet{EasyChair:1096,
  author    = {Zhe Wang},
  title     = {“For the Horde”: Players’ Collaborative Actions in Massively Multiplayer Online Games},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 1096},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}