Fifteen new papers on virtual worlds

Fifteen new virtual world research papers are now linked to the on-line syllabus for the course “Games for the Web.” Written by thoughtful undergraduates at Trinity University, the papers explore topics ranging from sexual practices in virtual environments (PDF) to ways that MMOs might be used to ease the suffering of children with cancer (PDF). (Note: As some curmudgeons have correctly noted, the title "Games for the Web" is a misnomer that glosses  over the distinction between "the web" and other TCP/IP-enabled services. The explanation can be found in the appended comments.)

Students met throughout the semester to discuss milestone works related to gaming and virtual worlds, and they supplemented these theoretical conversations with ongoing fieldwork in the virtual world of Norrath (Everquest II). The class played primarily on the Antonia Bayle role-playing server, where they were welcomed by the guild The Vindicators. In a completely unplanned twist of fate, the guild leader (Bandel) turned out to be the legendary game designer Scott Adams.

As they became more familiar with both the theoretical and the virtual landscapes, each student articulated a narrowly defined question that could be answered with qualitative methods. They paid close attention to ethical concerns and the importance of informed consent, and all students were required to pass a test on research ethics before collecting a single scrap of data. All of the class research projects were approved by the Institutional Review Board at Trinity University.

Please wander through the class site at your leisure, and take a look at the student's preliminary research findings. The students would love to hear your constructive feedback, either through e-mail or via postings to their web logs. Please keep in mind the limitations of this research setting. Time was too short to pursue in-depth ethnographic research, and sample sizes were too small to extrapolate with confidence to the broader gaming community. For many of the students, it was the first time that they had undertaken a research project of this scope. Nevertheless, this work reflects the efforts of a new generation of scholars grappling with the social significance of this vital medium.

Gritty details about course mechanics and pedagogical premises are elaborated elsewhere, as are extensive acknowledgements of those who supported the course in some way. I am especially grateful to my colleagues at Terra Nova for graciously sharing their time and expertise, to our guild-mates in The Vindicators on Antonia Bayle for helping us navigate the world of Norrath, and to the many gamers who agreed to participate in these studies.

Comments

[Grteg]

1.

Forgive me for being an irritable curmudgeon, but I am so tired of people using language--in the name of a conference no less--that betrays purblind ignorance of the thing they claim to be describing.

"Games for the Web?" The Web is an Internet service, accessible by Web Browsers, and you get to Web sites by typing in an URL beginning http://. There -are- games for the Web... Runescape for one, and (casting about randomly) Ticket to Ride for another.

Apparently the papers given at this conference were about games such as EverQuest and World of Warcraft, which are not Games for the Web. They are playable by independent client software that connects over the Internet, using protocols such as TCP and UDP, and never, ever, hit a Web server.

The Internet is an international network of computers that connect via the TCP/IP protocol, many of whom offer services such as mail, ftp, irc, finger, perhaps even archie in a few remaining cases--and, of course, the Web.

The point here is that the Web is one Internet service of many, and except in a few cases (Runescape, Habbo Hotel, and so on), virtually all MMOs (or virtual worlds, if you prefer) are custom Internet services that do not rely on the Web, except perhaps for player sign-up and information purposes.

I wasn't at the conference, and perhaps it ill behooves me to criticize, but I would be disinclined to present at such a conference until its organizers got a clue.

[Aaron Delwiche]

2.

Greg,

Your point is well taken, and the title of the course has always bothered me as well. The title of the class ("Games for the Web") is not a perfect fit. This is because the course itself was on the books for several years before I started teaching at Trinity. Previous versions of the class focused on Flash-based games that can be viewed in a web browser.

As a web developer and new media instructor, this blurring of web-based games with TCP/IP-based bames has always disturbed me. During the first day of class, I am always careful to explain that the name is not entirely acccurate.

However, at many universities, changing the title of a course is a complicated process that involves meetings with the faculty senate and the university curriculum committee. Rather than go through this process, I choose to stick with the current name, despite the problems that you mention. On the first day of class, I always discuss the difference between "the Internet" and "the web," and explain the reason for sticking with the old name.

The course is sometimes referred to as "Ethnography of massively multiplayer online games," but this too is a bit a of misnomer. We use ethnographic methods in the course, but the time constraints make it impossible to conduct a true ethnography. It is more like "ethnography lite."

Thanks for raising the issue. I'll add a disclaimer or caveat to the original post.

By the way, Greg, the original posting was about research papers linked to a college course and not about a conference.

[Chip Hinshaw]

3.

Some good read(s) to be sure, and a lot of interesting insights gained especially for a mere player such as myself.

I know I'll get blasted for this, but ...

I guess, being somewhat "old school", I still really view gaming as a diversion and not something that you "waste time" giving any serious consideration.

Yes, I understand that there is knowledge to be gained from the sociological, psychological, and cultural (sub-?) viewpoints through the study of any pastime. I guess I just like to take my games with a grain of salt.

In any case, regardless of my personal thoughts, I have skimmed all of these and read through the first three, and I recommend people give them a glance. There's some really interesting stuff in there.

[Richard Bartle]

4.

So far, I've only downloaded the papers and printed them off; I can't therefore comment on the content yet, as all I've read are the titles.

That said, I have to say how impressed I am just by the sheer range of subjects these papers cover. There are some very novel takes here; I can't wait to read them.

Just when I was beginning to worry that virtual world research was starting to get jaded...

Richard

5.

comments on Grteg's post: "I am so tired of people using language--in the name of a conference no less--that betrays purblind ignorance of the thing they claim to be describing." I think that you are being a little bit harsh on the title. Yes for those of us in the Know "The Internet is an international network of computers that connect via the TCP/IP protocol, many of whom offer services such as mail, ftp, irc, finger, perhaps even archie in a few remaining cases--and, of course, the Web." For the general public the internet often refers to anything that happens online. While this is an (apparently) important distinction for you it is not necessarily important for those you describe as "ignorant". It is also important to remember that while an individual may create a new word and define that word in a particular way that no way implies that everyone will continue to define it in the way that was originally prescribed. Words often change their meaning over time! If you think that the popular definition is wrong, well that’s your problem, the rest of us refer to it in the way that we feel is most effective for communication. That unfortunately is the nature of words and their definitions.

[Todd]

6.

sorry I should claim the last post. I hit the post button to quickly.

[Todd]

7.

sorry I should claim the last post. I hit the post button to quickly.

[Wizzel Cogcarrier Wizzleton IV]

8.

Oh, well if they passed a TEST on research ethics, then they must not be quoting their alts on a bunch of crap EQ2 strategies.

*cough*

[Travis G]

9.

I believe many of us used World of Warcraft alts mostly.

But on a serious note, no. Beginning the semester, many in the class didn't even know how to use a chat system in an MMO, much less use one to interview participants willing to answer our questions about aspects in-game. Seeing the kind of growth it took to produce the work above is astounding to me. I know some of us in the class this year are actively pursuing careers in this field of research and I can only wish them the best of luck and say that this was a good first step for us all.

[Kc0le]

10.

I have to question the assumption that "farmers" have a relatively minute impact upon the economy of an MMog. The assumption that total gold produced in a given day = end sale price of items looted during that day (even on an aggregated scale) is a stretch at best. The author is right to point out that the two approaches are high unlikely to "cancel each other out".

The Ace of Warlords example is a bit distorted in my opinion. Well publicized hacks (such as the DM teleportation hack) created an opportunity for individuals to farm expensive items at an extremely fast rate. The economic impacts of such events should be discounted because the occurance is rare and the effects are predictable.

I don't believe that farmer's have the possibility to "ruin" this game. The game is structured to reward players who reach certain criteria (raiding, crafting, reputation, gold) in exhange for rewards. Gold can buy you good items but you certainly can't purchase everything you need (BOP items are the most obvious example).

Overall a good read.

[Mike Sellers]

11.

One note on the links page for this class: the third link down, the MUD-Dev archive, is offline. The list itself, a venerable (if noisy) forum for MUD/MMO developers for years, went dark earlier this year. No idea why, if it's popped up someplace else, or if the archives are mirrored anyplace.

[Aaron]

12.

Thanks for the update, Mike. I'm sad to learn that the MUD-DEV list is truly dead. I'll be sure to update the links page on the class site.

[Anonymous]

13.

These papers are poorly written and riddled with typos and grammatical errors.

[CherryBomb]

14.

They are not perfect, Anonymous, but when I think about the stuff I turned out as an undergraduate, they look pretty good.

Go, Tigers!

[Nick]

15.

My paper is not riddled with errors. I spelled "teledildonics" flawlessly.