hardcover & paperback.

(Correction to text: This piece was funded by the MacArthur Foundation.)

[PDF, pre-print]

Abstract
This article explores the notion of assemblage for computer game studies. Drawing on this framework the author proposes a multi-faceted methodological approach to the study of games and the play experience. Drawing on user-created mods (modifications) in the game World of Warcraft and an analysis of a raid encounter there, a discussion is undertaken about the relationship between technological artifacts, game experience, and sociality. Primary to the consideration is an argument for the centralizing the inter-relation of a variety of actors and nodes when analyzing lived play in computer games.

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[link to online journal]

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Note: An abbreviated version of this article (does not include age & nationality discussion) appears in in J. Walker and H. Corneliussen (eds.) Digital Culture, Play, and Identity: A World of Warcraft Reader, Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2008.

Abstract

Rather than simply identifying “emergence”as a prime property of massively multiplayer online game life,a better understanding of the complex nature of player-produced culture is needed. Life in game worlds is not exempt from forms of player-based regulation and control. Drawing on ethnographic and interview work within World of Warcraft, the author undertakes initial inquiries on this subject by looking at three areas: nationalism, age, and surveillance. This case study shows systems of stratification and control can arise from the bottom up and be implemented in not only everyday play culture but even
player-produced modifications to the game system itself. Due to the ways these systems may simultaneously facilitate play, there is often an ambivalent dynamic at work. This piece also prompts some methodological considerations. By discussing field site choice, the author argues that context is of utmost importance and needs to be more thoughtfully foregrounded within game studies.

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Note: Parts of the argument in this article can be found updated and revised in my book Play Between Worlds.

Abstract
This article explores the ways social interaction plays an integral role in the game EverQuest. Through our research we argue that social networks form a powerful component of the gameplay and the gaming experience, one that must be seriously considered to understand the nature of massively multiplayer online games. We discuss the discrepancy between how the game is portrayed and how it is actually played. By examining the role of social networks and interactions we seek to explore how the friendships between the players could be considered the ultimate exploit of the game.

Copy unavailable. Please refer to my book Play Between Worlds for the most up to date version of the argument.

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Abstract

This article examines the ways virtual environment software is explicitly designed with particular visions of identity, communication, and community in mind. This social context of software is considered with a particular focus on the ways various forms of embodiment are encoded in systems. Rather than simply framing software as a primarily technical product, this article analyzes the way software engineers and designers shape architectures and systems as conduits for social values and norms. Considerations of responsibility, identity, legitimacy, and sociability emerge as central factors in design practice.