Millions play world-wide, many for numerous hours a day, and many have multiple player accounts that are regularly used. Online role playing games have become a staple in our society. This can be seen by the vast number of consumers using multiplayer online role playing games, but also through the amount of money game developers generate through these games. Forbes.com reported a research firm estimated that game developers pulled in 292 million dollars in 2005, from subscription fees alone (*). These games present an interesting medium in that the messages are delivered in a virtual reality.
This medium allows players, who are in tern consumers, to display messages that they would otherwise not be able to demonstrate outside of virtual reality. Therefore, this medium is extremely important because it is one, if not the only one, that allows members of society to consciously exchange messages in a setting outside the constraints of reality. What I mean here is that virtual reality allows people to act in ways that they would hesitate or fail to do so in reality. Croteau and Hoynes write that “participants in virtual culture can take on new roles. They can change sex or age or occupation and interact electronically with an altered identity” (150).
(above: players are broadcasting messages to other unknown players)
Another interesting aspect that online role-playing games offer is that they allow users to interact on a personal level, one-one-one, and broadcast mass messages to an enormous amount of people. Croteau and Hoynes explain this idea further when they write “computer networks challenge the distinction between a ‘producer’ and ‘receiver’ of media messages, combining characteristics of ‘mass’ communication with one-to-one communication” (150). Thus, unique mediums like role-playing games provide society with a method to distribute messages in more than one manner (personal or mass). With such a massive following, online role-playing games can be considered a leader in virtual reality mediums.
Also, take a look at this extremely bizarre, yet interesting story:
http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/world-of-warcraft-the-burning-crusade/news/the-wow-funeral-raid-four-years-later/a-2010030510656885018/g-20060403131624956087
*http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/07/virtual-world-jobs_cx_de_0807virtualjobs.html
i like your post a lot. I have myself noticed that many of my friends pretend to be different people on facebook and only upload their 'cool' pictures or quotes. Although the Internet is a free space, i think over freedom is not the best for our society.
ReplyDeleteit is funny how you decided to focus on such a popular game that is floating around right now. Similar to what Akash was saying, there are so many people who are now spending so much of their time online that internet free space has become an area of freedom to expression
ReplyDeleteit is so interesting how a computer game can be termed as a medium. the fact that people can interact with each other and create basically an alter ego in this cyber world is definitely an interesting phenomenom. many different messages are sent throughout this alter world on the computer and definitely has an effect on people's lives.
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