The social side of gaming: a study of interaction patterns in a massively multiplayer online game

• ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2004)

Playing computer games has become a social experience. Hundreds of thousands of players interact in massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG), a recent and successful genre descending from the pioneering multi-user dungeons (MUDs). These new games are purposefully designed to encourage interactions among players, but little is known about the nature and structure of these interactions. In this paper, we analyze player-to-player interactions in two locations in the game Star Wars Galaxies. We outline different patterns of interactivity, and discuss how they are affected by the structure of the game. We conclude with a series of recommendations for the design and support of social activities within multiplayer games.

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citation

Ducheneaut, N. ; Moore, R. J. The social side of gaming: a study of interaction patterns in a massively multiplayer online game. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2004); 2004 November 6-10; Chicago IL; USA. NY: ACM; 2004; 360-369.