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Social interactions in virtual worlds : an interdisciplinary perspective
Lakkaraju K., Sukthankar G., Wigand R., Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 2018. 452 pp. Type: Book (978-1-107128-82-8)
Date Reviewed: Mar 15 2019

As the title implies, this book is a compilation of studies on how virtual worlds may have applications to the real world. The editors claim that readers will find data on how individuals and pairs behave within a game; what patterns of behavior exist within groups; how cultures and games interact; and what new techniques have been evolving that allow us to see patterns in behavior when it comes to games, gamers, and gaming.

This work also purports to be interdisciplinary. And much can be learned when “computer scientists, statisticians, economists, communication scholars, sociologists, and psychologists” work together. However, I am disappointed that political scientists are not mentioned, even though some aspects of some of the chapters fall within the realm of politics. The first chapter, on leadership, talks about three types of leadership--autocratic, self-interested, and networked--that are clearly within the purview of political science. The second chapter, on virtual organizations, mentions the use of the term adhocracy, which borders on a political term, as another term for network organizations. The third instance has to do with the conclusion of chapter 6, “Toxic Allies and Caring Friends”: Guild Wars 2 is a more welcoming game and can be described as “the fantasy of socialist collectivism,” while League of Legends is a reflection of more toxic competition “mirror[ing] neoliberal individualism.” Upon further reading, one discovers that fields such as journalism, cultural anthropology, social history, and literature are also part of that interdisciplinarity, for example, when using the game A Tale in the Desert to build a utopian social system in a virtual ancient Egypt.

It is interesting to note the use of various research methods by the many different authors. Some use quantitative analysis, others use qualitative methods that rely on interviews as well as the observations of gamers at work in local area network (LAN) parties and Internet cafes. Several of the chapters prove to be very interesting because they point to aspects of the virtual world that I have used and tested in my classroom many years ago, specifically in the 1990s, such as the use of Second Life. There is also reference to the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom, as well as the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC), which brought back memories of one of my first collaborative pieces of work--writing a chapter for a book that was wholly put together via email.

When it comes to individual behavior, it has been shown that the game world is a place for social interaction, which can lead to lasting friendships and even romance. Being engaged in joint activities such as the leisure and entertainment activities provided by video games can lead to positive relational satisfaction. In terms of groups, virtual team communication and collaboration can be developed with the use of Second Life, which groups, organizations, and companies such as the American Cancer Society, Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Pizza Hut, to name just a few, have used with the Linden cryptocurrency.

The most interesting aspect of the book has to do with the use of games in understanding other cultures. In classrooms with a large migrant community, it has been found that the use of games allows for some students who may feel marginalized to find comfort in virtual reality, which eventually translates to comfort with the real world.

This is a very rich piece of work by a diverse set of authors; most chapters are collaborative efforts. Each chapter includes many references, which is very useful and helpful for those who would like to undertake further research. The book touches on many massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), as well as multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) such as World of Warcraft, Sherwood, EVE, EverQuest, and League of Legends, to name just a few.

What do we do with all of the data? We need techniques for analyzing it, since we know that games go beyond entertainment. They have value for enterprises in terms of training and evaluation. They have value in education, especially since cooperation and collaboration between academia and education can lead to better game design and products. In profiling games, we are able to discern who the players are, how they play the game, and how they derive satisfaction from it.

A September 2018 Time article talks about the latest video game hit that was apparently the free-for-all sensation of the summer [1]. According to the article, aside from it being free, another source of Fortnite’s appeal--that may also shed light on the future of gaming--is that “for as much fun as it is to play, it can be just as enjoyable to sit back and watch,” just as one watches football, soccer, or tennis. This also needs to be considered when looking at the social impact of gaming in the world.

Reviewer:  Cecilia G. Manrique Review #: CR146471 (1905-0162)
1) Fitzpatrick, A. Fortnite is a huge success--and a sign of what’s to come in gaming. Time Sep. 13, 2018, http://time.com/5394933/fortnite-gaming/.
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