Individual Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Actual/Virtual Social Ties in Massive Multiplayer Online Games

Sun, August 12, 10:30 to 11:30am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, 103B

Abstract

This study traces the boundaries of online-based social networks and its possible extensions and intersections with offline social networks. It focuses on the Massive Multiplayer Online gaming community. Most online gaming research has only addressed one side of the equation, i.e., the online aspect of social interaction. The primary objective is to look at both offline and online social contexts of gamers. The data analyzed here is part of ongoing research. Using a sample of 186 respondents and a total of 1116 social ties (three online and three offline) this work addresses differences and similarities between online gamer’s offline and online networks. The preliminary analysis of this ongoing research suggests that overall offline ties are slightly more important than offline. Still, this does not suggest that online ties are not important at all. Length of relationship plays a significant role in how participants qualify their online ties. Most participants that had not already met face-to-face showed a willingness to meet with their online ties. They also reported sharing personal and everyday life matters with their online social network, but at a lower rate of their offline network. The ongoing research agenda will address the limitations of this phase and help construct a more robust understanding of the intersections between offline and online social networks.

Author