Annonymous

I think that the annonymous factor allows people to lose fear of judgement that so many of us often face in our day to day lives. I think that your character is an extention of oneself. Therefore they are annonymous to the other players (unless you're playing with friends) and that you can include as much or as little information in your profile as you choose.

A lot of games allow you to name your character i've noticed or to take on a specific character thus revealing very little about the identity of the person who is controlling that character. For all you know knight5201 could be a 80 year old grandfather or a 12 year old school boy. I think that the world of gaming allows the opportunity to submerse yourself as publicly or as annonymously as possible. Even though you are intereacting with others in MMO's you still control to the degree of participation you involve yourself.

MMO's offer socialization and allow interaction with others whether it be collectively to try to accomplish a mission or whether its purely for social chatter while playing the game. Perhaps for some people this is where they feel most comfortable socially and feel accepted by fellow players. Perhaps it allows them to express themselves in ways that they cannot in their everyday life.
I think in that aspect annonyminity is a really great aspect of the gaming world.

MMO Games and Effects on Socialization

The article on GameSpy, I believe, had an interesting viewpoint or perspective as far as social nature is concerned. Traditionally speaking, most people, as stated in the article, would consider online game play as an anti-social event because it doesn't involve direct interaction with others. In contrast to this, the article demonstrates that online game play can actually be an alternate form of social interaction for people who may be rather shy.

Personally, I believe this can be both helpful and hurtful in terms of healthy socialization. I don't think, however, that this viewpoint would be a total paradox.

For people who may be shy or self-conscious, MMO games provide a way for individuals to connect with others and make friends without all of the awkwardness that is associated with meeting new people face-to-face. For example, such things as physical appearance, silence or breaks in conversation, and setting can be major issues for those who are shy. Online gaming takes away, or at the very least, minimizes all of these potential problems. In a positive sense, it is possible for online gaming to actually help facilitate friendships. For example, as shown by the photo in the article, often times with MMO games, groups/clans are formed and members may decide to hold a gathering. At this point, usually a period of time has passed since the group was formed. Therefore, the potential issues mentioned before can become less problematic. As noted in the article, the game is often the "ice breaker" of conversation, which helps people relax and feel less anxious.

In opposition to this, as stated earlier, use of MMO game play as a form of social interaction can be negative. For some people, I believe, it may actually promote more reclusive behavior. For example, if an individual MMO gamer becomes an active group member, they may become reliant on the group for positive social emotions. In other words, the individual might create an illusion. In some cases, friends within a group are at considerable geographical distances from each other. Thus, meeting in person would be quite difficult. Also, an individual may build a level of comfort that could prohibit them from seeking direct socialization. This level of comfort would serve as a barrier, possibly making it even harder to form regular friendships. In addition to this, it could act as a form of reinforcement. A person would begin to learn that when associating with other MMO gamers, they end up feeling content. Over time, they would subconsciously repeat the activity as a form of positive behavior.

When you talk about how people only use MMO's to escape and be away from who or what they really are. I don't think that they are trying to escape from who they are i just think that they are adding another dimensions to their lives and the way they live it. I think that the reason people play games anonymous or under an alias is because they are not 100% confident about what they are doing. I think that if computer gaming was the main sport on earth then this would not be the case people would be proud to be the person that has 15 kills or has shot someone in the back of the head etc.

I do think that the anonymous thing has to do a lot with self consciousness with the individual involved from my experience of playing MMO's it is people who are under code name such as black hawk who speak out allot more than some who's game name might be John Smith. I think that this gives people who are shy or who are looked down on in life to be and act like the person who they want be. If you look at MMO's in that respect it is giving people a chance to come out of their shells and be who they want to be because common perception frowns upon certain individuals. When yo relate this to Maslows hierarchy of human needs i think that as long as a human is satisfied in what they are doing when they are doing it then there shouldn't be a problem as long as no laws are being broken.

MMOs/ANONYMOUS

I think the people who choose to play in the world of MMOs are engaging in a form of escapism. They can enter a pretend world, where they leave their troubles behind, be "who" or "what" ever they so desire to be.People who are socially inhibited must find this to be very "liberating." This reminds me of the times when my husband and I would get all dressed up for Halloween and keep our identities a secret ,even from our friends. We would go to parties and stay "anonymous", and I remember the feeling of being "uninhibited" so relaxed that I didn't need to worry or feel pressure to "look" a certain way or what my clothes were saying about me or if my hair was still in place. It was a great feeling, I remember wishing that I could feel this way everyday of my life and envying anyone that could. So I guess I can relate to people wanting to socialize with out having to put their selves out for public scrutiny.

Anonymous

When people play games, some wish to be able to socialize and others don't. There are many possible reasons behind this. When you think about it many people like to be able to talk to one another, this allows many people to help one another on many things. It makes the game more interesting in ways. You have something to talk about with these people, but any other time if you met this person face to face you probley wouldn't have anything really to talk about. The game gives you bases to talk and interact with one another. Others wish to stay anonymous because they had bad experiences with other similar things. Other reasons they may wish to stay anonymous is because they are younger and some games set and age limit on those who can socialize on the game. I think people may have other reasons behind socializing, and staying anonymous.

The Social Side

As we investigate these online games and start to understand how all-- encompassing the accompanying lifestyle may become, it becomes very clear that the social aspect of many of these games is of very high value to the players involved.

The very nature of anonymity suggests that there is a secret, some sort of an obstacle that must stay hidden. As many of these players create these avatars that are often the summation of what the player wishes to be, they are hoping to fulfil a void through their presence online, and remain protected by the bubble of their masked identity.

A study of the gamer and their social interactions does indeed present a paradox; one might think the desire to remain anonymous as being the same as the desire for solitude, which is far from true. Anonymous players often play these games for the social aspect without having to risk exposing themselves, which means they clearly do not want remain alone.

Although a person's desire to have an anonymous social life may be based on their insecurities, there are other reasons people may value gaming as an opportunity to socialize. Many people do not have the option to participate in "real" social events for a variety of events, ranging from the stereotype of the housebound to those with demanding schedules that do not allow for needed social interaction.

Delving into the social world of online gaming is quite eye--opening and exposes an interesting display of human behavior on a new virtual landscape. It is my intention throughout this course to obtain a sort of cross--section of this culture, further understanding why people are doing what their doing, what they receive from their experiences and how it shapes them as people and their everyday lives.

Multiplayer MMOs

Online multiplayer MMO's potential value to those who want to game and stay anonymous is that you can have fun meet new people and not have to worry about people judging you. It allows you to do whatever you want in the game as you please while keeping your identity safe. It allows people that normally wouldn't be accepted in the real world to be accepted in the virtual world. It can also help people with their social interaction and communication skills. I believe that it is a paradox because if you can communicate through a game than you should be able to communicate in any other situation. Yea you wont be looking at the person face to face through the came but you still get that vocal communication through the game. It's a big contradiction

anonymous

The who question of can a person socialize while being anonymous almost seems like and oxymoron! Yet it brings about a while new area of study in our daily lives. People who game and choose to remain anonymous still need love and the feeling of belonging. Maslow says that a person must have there basic needs met first in order to feel belonging but how often are things left out such as a meal when in the pursuit of friends or trying to get a connection with someone. The idea that a person wants to socialize while not being known is also more on an elementary level. People had to get to where they are by their experiences, Some who remain anonymous must have, for the sake of my argument, had a negative or bad experience. Gaming and remaining unknown would be there way of testing the waters to see if there will be a repeat social interaction. In the article where its says that there is a greater social connection because the individuals don't have to put up with awkward moments such as farting that in its self seems like a paradox to me. A paradox as defined by dictionary.com is self contradiction. How can people have social interaction without the awkward moments? Gaming makes that possible but how do the people who participate move forward in their personal life towards making friends or having normal social interactions. Assuming that a normal interaction for people is meeting face to face. I found it interesting in the same article that when some people met they did say that it was awkward because they had nothing to talk about until the topic of the game came up and then the meal seemed to go fine. I think that people who meet face to face and can talk about the game and still have the awkward moments stand to gain the most out of the gaming experience.

The Basic Human Need

Anyone who has taken an introductory Psychology class understands the basic premise behind Maslow's hierarchy of needs: There are several categories of things human beings must secure to survive, thrive and realize their dreams.

Just above the survival level of needs which includes, food and water we have Safety and above that Love and Belonging. These two levels are necessary for survival nearly as much as food and water. You'll notice that Love and Belonging are placed in the center of the hierarchy. In this position, social interaction serves as a gateway to Self Esteem and Self Actualization. It has been demonstrated that people use other's opinions of them to shape their own identity. If everyone tells you, you are a loser then eventually you begin like a loser. Similarly, if your social peers praise you and never give you negative feedback, your self opinion grows. Sometimes the latter can be just as much a problem as the former as many ego maniacal moviestars and celebrities have shown.

In order to create a more positive vibe, I had you read the short article on "Six Wonderful Things About Games". This short article summarizes some positive aspects of gaming which are by no means conclusively decided, but open to debate.

The second Article, (depending on the order you read them) "Nobody Farts in World of Warcraft" brings up some fantastic material which is expanded upon, and partly contradicted by the Chronicle Article entitled "The End of Solitude" In "Nobody Farts" the idea of Anonymity is brought up in conjunction with words like "Meritocracy" and "Egalitarian" which are all used to explain the virtual environment of World of Warcraft. There is clear evidence that today's society is by no means either a meritocracy or truly egalitarian, two subjects we will return to later in the course. We are however living in an "anonymous" society where social interaction, as evidenced by this course, is facilitated by means which can hide out identities. There is a freedom in not being exposed to public scrutiny as the article points out. In games like World of Warcraft players choose a face to show the public that best fits what they feel, represents them while maintaining true anonymity at their computer. The female Night elf, Druid you meet while playing, may in reality be a 40 year old man who is volunteer fireman in your community. Often people you meet virtually are from different countries altogether.

The Chronicle article took a different tack entirely regarding modern society and technology. As someone who lived alone for almost ten years without a television I can appreciate the importance of solitude. People would often ask me if were lonely, to which I would reply "No". Growing up in a rural area, often by myself, i was perfectly comfortable in my own skin. In fact i am still a little uncomfortable in large crowds. In this article the author highlights the importance of protecting one's "private self" from public scrutiny which is often a problem for young people today who are constantly texting, and Facebooking each other. Many people feel the need to engage in this very shallow type of interaction with their peers in order to stave off "loneliness", which I, and the author, would term "Solitude". Far from being a bad thing, Solitude allows one to know who they are without the constant feedback from others. It is unhealthy to have a self image based entirely on how others perceive you since you then lose all grounding in your "Self".

In his article, William Deresiewicz discusses the Romantic ideal of the self being "validated by a congruity of public appearance and private essence, one that stabilizes it's relationship with both itself and others". This will serve as an apt definition of a balanced social life, one that promotes healthy interaction and allows for self exploration.

This is where Massively Multi-player gaming comes in. As you may come to realize in the coming week, MMO's, like World of Warcraft, allow players to present a "public appearance" in the form of a custom Avatar while maintaining the integrity of the "private essence" behind the keyboard. The Avatar serves as an "incarnation" or surrogate self which becomes the focus for social activity. Instead of putting the details of your life on display as you would via My Space or Facebook, your Avatar allows you the freedom of only revealing what you wish, to whom you wish. Perhaps this is why online gaming communities often foster real life, long term relationships between players who share a common experience. This doesn't mean that it is healthy to socialize only via your online games, it does mimic what a balanced social life might look like.

For Friday please take a look at the following for Friday:

Video Games and the Economy

Welcome to the New Gold Mines


Be sure to have researched an online game you will participate in for next weeks class. There will be a journal prompt every day which i would like you to compile in a text document and then send at the end of the week as your second week project. Please check to blog site for the assignments every day as there will be a separate journal assignment and forum assignment. The assignments will also be posted as text documents on the college portal.