The Keys to Success: Supplemental Measures of Player Expertise in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

• In Event: Top Competitive Papers in Game Studies

Abstract

In this paper we describe the mixed methods deployed as part of a longitudinal, multi-site study that asks whether and how players’ offline characteristics are recognizable in their online interactions in Massively Multiplayer Online Games. By focusing on our attempts to assess player expertise, we present a case study to illuminate how interpretation of data can be inadvertently influenced by the technologies and methods employed, and that the use of multiple data sources acts as a means for triangulating observations and analyses.

Authors

• Kelly Bergstrom, York University

• Jennifer Jenson, York U

• Richard Hydomako, York U

• Suzanne Christine de Castell, U of Ontario Institute of Technology