DiGRA '03 - Proceedings of the 2003 DiGRA International Conference: Level Up
, 2003
Volume: 2
ISBN / ISNN: ISSN 2342-9666
In this paper I explore a particular slice of massive multiplayer participants known as power gamers. Through my ethnography of EverQuest, as well as interviews with players, I analyze the ways these participants, who operate with a highly instrumental game-orientation, actually facilitate their play style through a variety of distinctly social activities. Rather than seeing this segment of the gaming population as “lone ranger” figures or via various other “geek gamer” myths, this work explores the way high-end players are actually embedded in deeply social structures, rituals, and practices.
EverQuest, Massive multiplayer online games, MMOG, player typology, power gaming, socialization, styles of play