The Pretence Awareness Contexts and Oscillating Nature of Coaching Frames

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Harrop Mitchell Gibbs Martin Carter Marcus
2014 DiGRA '13 - Proceedings of the 2013 DiGRA International Conference: DeFragging Game Studies

Drawing on data from three studies, this paper argues that the learning and teaching of player coaching is an important frame of temporary motivation for players during gameplay. Furthermore, play framed temporarily as a coaching experience exhibits what Fine (1983) called the oscillating nature of engrossment and operates under the same kind of pretence awareness context (Glaser & Strauss, 1964) that he described in relation to role-playing games. We argue the teaching of a new game, or parts of a game, is a fleeting yet recurring experience, with participants oscillating between regular mundane everyday play and coaching new players. The coach and other players are often expected to continue play as if they had not seen any strategically important information during their time coaching and learning. This is of course a pretence, the implications of which are explored.

 

From text to talk: multiplayer games and voiceover IP

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Halloran John Rogers Yvonne Fitzpatrick Geraldine
2003 DiGRA '03 - Proceedings of the 2003 DiGRA International Conference: Level Up

The social experience of multiplayer gaming is mediated by the communications tools that are available to use. Until recently, these have been largely text-based, but with the advent of new voiceover IP tools like Roger Wilco and Xbox Live, voice-mediated communication is becoming increasingly common. We present three studies of multiplayer gaming, where we analyse what happens in terms of the social experience when players are given the opportunity of talking to each other rather than texting. To do this we use a conceptual framework called FFIPS, which stands for Form, language Functions, Identity, Presence, and Social protocols. Our findings show that voiceover IP for multiplayer gaming appears to be well-suited to supporting a distinctive and enjoyable social experience, both by providing high ‘presence’ (i.e., increased energy, engagement and vividness), and by revealing information about players’ real identities.

 

Game Mediated Communication: Multiplayer Games as the Medium for Computer Based Communication

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Wiklund Mats
2005 DiGRA '05 - Proceedings of the 2005 DiGRA International Conference: Changing Views: Worlds in Play

As multiplayer games evolve in functionality and with respect to the number of participants, in-game communication between players is increasing. As in-game communication increases, games may be considered the natural medium for computer based communication in general. Special issues may arise due to the real-time nature of many games, as intraplayer communication must not interfere with other parts of the gameplay. To obtain information on the extent to which computer based chat is spontaneously associated with multiplayer games, an empirical study was conducted. Children from age 10 to age 15 were interviewed about their computer based communications. To ensure unbiased results, game related issues were never brought up by the interviewer. Results show that multiplayer games were spontaneously pinpointed by 16.83% of the interview subjects being asked about their computer chat habits. Positive remarks dominated, but some negative aspects were also mentioned, such as difficulty chatting and playing simultaneously.

 

Interaction Manifestations at the Roots of Experiencing Multiplayer Computer Games

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Vallius Laura Manninen Tony Kujanpää Tomi
2007 DiGRA '07 - Proceedings of the 2007 DiGRA International Conference: Situated Play

Today’s computer games offer players stunning audiovisual environments, intense action, adventures, puzzles and crowded worlds with vast amounts of other players to play with. Consequently, play experience is a combination of numerable variables. This study focuses on understanding how interaction manifestations of games participate in the process of experiencing multiplayer game environments. Rich Interaction Model is used as a theoretical framework for analysing experiencing of interaction. Two experimental games are used in the analysis as examples. The results of this study are preliminary guidelines of how interaction manifestations affect experiencing games

 

The Problem of Other Players: In-game Cooperation as Collective Action

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Smith Jonas Heide
2005 DiGRA '05 - Proceedings of the 2005 DiGRA International Conference: Changing Views: Worlds in Play

This paper explores the development in game design of collaborative relationships between players, proposes a typology of such relationships and argues that one type of game design makes games a continuous experiment in collective action (Olson, 1971). By framing in-game conflict within the framework of economic game theory the paper seeks to highlight the importance of already well-developed models from other fields for the study of electronic games.