Gangs and Guilds in MMOs
(Image Source: MMO Hut)
Previous research by Johnson et al found out that there are some commonalities between Street Gangs in Los Angeles and guilds in MMOs. In our recent paper Guilds Play in MMOs: Rethinking Common Group Dynamics Models, using data from the SOE game EverQuest II, we show that the similarities between these two may not be generalizable i.e., guilds in MMORPGs do not necessarily show similarities to street gangs and additionally we found additional issues with the previous work. Here is a summary of our objections from our recent paper to be presented at SocInfo 2011 in Singapore next month.
- Almost all the previous studies use data from one MMOG namely World of Warcraft. While some researchers think that [10,18] the results of these studies may be generalizable, this is an empirical question and until results are replicated in other MMOGs generalizations cannot be really made.
- Most of the studies on MMOGs take a static snapshot of the data and thus there have not been many longitudinal studies, with some exceptions [10].
- Most papers like Johnson et al [10] analyze guild data at the character level but not at the account level. They state that even though players may have multiple characters associated with them, they usually play with one of the characters.
- While the assumption that the results would be generalizable at the level of accounts, we think that this question should be empirically addressed. Almost all the previous studies use data from one MMOG namely World of Warcraft. While some researchers think that [10,18] the results of these studies may be generalizable, this is an empirical question and until results are replicated in other MMOGs generalizations cannot be really made.
- Most of the studies on MMOGs take a static snapshot of the data and thus there have not been many longitudinal studies, with some exceptions [10].
- Most papers like Johnson et al [10] analyze guild data at the character level but not at the account level. They state that even though players may have multiple characters associated with them, they usually play with one of the characters. While the assumption that the results would be generalizable at the level of accounts, we think that this question should be empirically addressed.
Here is a summary of our finding from our research paper, on the basis of which it can be concluded that the verdict on similarities between street gangs and guild in MMOs is still out and more research needs to be done in order to make a definitive statement.
Both EQ2 and WoW are massively multiplayer online role playing games and are similar to one another in many respects. One would expect that the evolution of guilds in these two environments would be similar, yet our results suggest otherwise. On the contrary, one would expect the street gangs in LA and WoW to be less similar as compared to EQ2 but the opposite is observed. While there may be sufficient similarity between WoW and LA street gangs, it is possible that the observed similarities are only applicable to WoW alone, and may not generalize to other MMOGs. This implies that online worlds could have distinct features and nuances, so much so that their social dynamics cannot be assumed to be similar across virtual worlds. Mapping from online contexts to offline contexts should be based on multiple studies since some online environments may be similar to offline settings while others may not be even though they may seem to be sufficiently similar. It is also important to map the dimensions of what exactly is meant by “diversity,” as a principle for group formation. Biologically based diversity operates on a different principle than skill-based diversity in an environment where identity may not play as strong a role as efficiency and strategy. Offline, while people may have different aspects of their personality, they aren’t actually physically different with different appearances and skills from context to context [7]. In virtual worlds, this is common and trackable in many cases. Any analysis must account for this multiple personality equivalent before beginning calculations.
Summary: Our results contradict the previous results on similarities between street gangs and guilds in MMOs. More research is required to settle this issue for certain.
Recent articles
- Gangs and Guilds in MMOs11 Sep 2011
- Gold Farming16 Jul 2010
- EQ2 Overview15 Jul 2010
- Mentoring15 Jul 2010
- Expertise14 Jul 2010