How Does MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) Affect The Users Interpersonal Relationships?

Introduction

Kelly (102) defines a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) as a type of a computer game wherein users’ role animated characters, and thereby interacting with numerous users online concurrently. Despite the fact that MMORPGs do not have a physical interface, sociologists have been able to study the in-game social interaction associated with the gaming genre. It is becoming apparent that the gaming culture is turning out to be an important tool that is changing the aspect of socialization (Martin 147). Social research has established both the positive and negative effects of MMORPGs on the individual’s life, especially with regard to interpersonal relationships. This is mainly because controlling fantasy characters is somewhat a solitary activity undertaken in the absence of others; as a result, avid gamers turn out to be isolated. Nevertheless, their interactive and cooperative nature helps in enhancing interpersonal skills since players often make friends in the virtual world (Pezzeca 120).

Pezzeca (90) affirms that MMORPGs are also known to facilitate international connections; similar to the internet, MMORPGs act as an agent of socialization among individuals that are not likely to meet in the real world. The primary objective of MMORPGs is to deconstruct the limits existing in the real world. The conventional purposes associated with this gaming genre usually ignore the actual state of international relations and place emphasis on the virtual world it has formed, which in turn creates a distinctive platform for multicultural socialization. Another aspect of MMORPGs that impose an effect on interpersonal relationships is addiction. Addiction to video gaming has been associated with a number of ruined marriages, broken families, and sometimes, parental neglect (Martin 74). Studies have affirmed that MMORPGs are extremely problematic because of their addictive nature. Leaving the game extends beyond leaving the plot or the computer screen, to include cutting connections with real friends. In addition, the rewards of this gaming genre ensure that users are online most of their time. Another aspect of the game that affects interpersonal relationships is the formation of a social arena (Yee 189). In the real world, social events occur in social settings such as bars, clubs and restaurant. MMORPGs work using similar dynamics to enhance the socialization process. Using this theoretical framework, the primary goal of this paper is to establish the effects of MMORPGs on interpersonal relationships. The paper makes use of existing literature to derive its conclusions.

The effects of MMORPGs on Interpersonal Relationships

            MMORPGs are extremely involving, which in turn consumes most of an individual’s life. Social studies have affirmed that MMORPG users have a universal trend of allocating a significant portion of their time to online activity associated with the game, which often leads to abandoning and ignoring other interests revolving around the social life outside the game and other extracurricular activities (Wiemer-Hastings 110). A direct effect of MMORPGs on interpersonal relationships is that it leads to isolation, owing to their very nature that users have a preference of playing in the absence of others. Isolation is further worsened by their addictive nature, implying that a person playing the game is unlikely to take note of the events that happen around him or her and places his full concentration on the game. A study by Yee (187) established that 8 percent of users spend at least 40 hours weekly on online gaming environments, which is equivalent to the normal working hours. Yee (188) further asserts that 69.8 percent of the participants had spent more than 10 hours continuously gaming. A direct outcome of these findings is that most MMORPG gamers place more value on their online friends than friends in the real life. In the same study by Yee, 39.4 percent of female respondents and 53.3 percent of male participants were of the opinion that their online friends were better than their real world friends were, which indicates the hyper personal effects associated with computer-mediated communication. Interpersonal communications via MMORPGs impose negative effects on the real world interpersonal relationships.

However, their very nature provides an avenue for hyper-personal interactions, which are extremely intimate and more salient because of the communication model. For instance, MMORPG communication allows the sender to maximize on their self-representation because there is no need for real time response. In addition, the receiver formulates an impression of the sender through inflation of information pieces optimized by the sender. MMORPG users can also reallocate their cognitive resources in order to sustain socially acceptable non-verbal gestures. The net effect of interpersonal relationships established on MMORPG environments is characterized by intimacy (Ozok and Panayiotis 126). The online gaming environment offers a place for users’ to interact socially without the constraints faced on real world relationships. MMORPG users involved in online relationships have reported to feel safe when disclosing information on the gaming environment since they can control the exchange of information. In addition, most MMORPG users find it relatively easier to participate in intimate conversations in these environments, leading to more intense interpersonal relationships than in the case of real world. The inference from this observation is that MMORPGs enhance the formation of interpersonal relationships in the virtual world and simultaneously degrades the value of interpersonal relationships in the real world. MMORG users spent a significant time enhancing their online relationships at the cost of real life interpersonal relationships (Wiemer-Hastings 115).

The second effect of MMORPG on interpersonal relationships is negative emotions. MMORPG games entail building up characters and engaging in challenging competitions, with users undertaking emotional investments in their missions within the game. Failing to complete the tasks imposes a negative impact on the user’s mood, leading intense frustrations and irritations. According to Yee (181), many MMORG users claimed that the most negative experience in the course of the week prior to an interview were derived from the events that took place when gaming. The salience and appeal associated with MMORPG environment is evident by the fact that users have an emotional attachment to their avatars and the gaming environment (Wiemer-Hastings 114). It is evident that these gaming environments promote time and emotional investment from the players, and players derive significant emotional experiences from MMORPG environments, which may have an impact on their everyday relationships in the real world. MMORPG players usually develop an emotional connection with the characters that they form. The intense attraction to these virtual worlds can be extremely dangerous; especially when users become too much attached to his/her virtual character. MMORPG users have demonstrated a tendency to compare the real world and the virtual world, which is extremely unhealthy for interpersonal relationships.

The addictive nature of MMORPGs has negative implications on numerous forms of interpersonal relationships such as marriages, family ties and intimate friendships. Social studies point out that at least 33 percent of MMORPG players are married and have kids. Their time of play is mostly during the evening; a time usually dedicated for family interactions. A study undertaken by Brigham Young University to explore the effects if MMORPG on 349 couples concluded that whereas there are positive effects of multi-player online gaming, behaviors associated MMORPG played an integral role in reducing marital satisfaction. The research revealed that the real problem is not the time that spent playing or interacting with the other avatar; rather, the effect of choice leads to marital dissatisfaction. Heavy gamers are associated with provoking arguments and a disruption of bedtime routines (Ozok and Panayiotis 147). MMORPGs affect such interpersonal relationships because of reduced time spent together, poor adjustment skills and less seriousness during conversations. An interpersonal relationship is a well-defined aspect, involving the degree to which partners perceive that their needs and desires are met. An essential predictor of the outcome of interpersonal relationship is the quality of interpersonal relations. Addictive gaming tends to reduce the quality of interpersonal relations because of time and emotional investments and comparisons of the real and the virtual world; such behavioral tendencies increase the likelihood of breaking up interpersonal relationships among MMORPG users. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that MMORPG gaming tends to increase isolation, which harms the development of interpersonal skills in the real world. This is because MMORPG players have less social interaction with families and friends, which increases the risk of suffering depression and loneliness.

Another effect of MMORPGs on interpersonal relationships stems from the personality traits imposed by online gaming environments. There is a positive correlation between high frequency online gaming and neuroticism, implying that higher amounts of playing time translates to higher levels of depression, vulnerability, anxiety and self-consciousness. Social studies have affirmed that increased MMORPG activity increases the prevalence of these behaviors among users (Pezzeca 125). Another personality trait developed by increased MMORPG activity is that it reduces the level of extraversion, suggesting that users who spent most of their time on MMORPGs are less likely to active, assertive and friendly. Studies have reported that individuals who spent a significant proportion of their time in MMORPG gaming have a tendency of withdrawing from their real life interpersonal relationships, and spent more time focusing on their online gaming activities. It is evident that heavy MMORPG users tend to be less extroverted because of the higher preference in online activities than real-life relationships. The outcome of these personality traits developed by MMORPG environments is that heavy users of MMORPG tend to experience relatively high degrees of anxiousness during social interaction. It is evident that personality traits imposed by MMORPGs have the capability of deteriorating the value and quality of interpersonal relationships in a real world scenario. However, they do tend to enhance interpersonal skills in the virtual environment. The negative impact is that players tend to emulate and apply the experiences in the virtual world in the real world scenario (Ozok and Panayiotis 180). This denotes the nature of the relationship between MMORPG environment, personality traits and interpersonal relationships. Since these environments are viewed as “role-playing games”, Yee (192) asserts that it is easy to presuppose that users perceive it as a simple game of pretend-play. In contrary, the level of emotional investments implies that users allocate a significant level of seriousness to these gaming environments. A survey by Yee (192) reported that most users behave and interact in the material world in a similar manner that they do in the virtual world. In other world, users are likely to experiment their virtual personalities in the material world.

Conclusion

            The paper has discussed the effects of MMORGs on users’ interpersonal relationships. The identified effects include isolations, emotional and time investments, negative implications of its addictive nature on interpersonal ties, and virtual personality traits that deteriorate real world interpersonal relationships. A direct outcome of MMORPGs on interpersonal relationships is that it leads to isolation, owing to their very nature that users have a preference of playing in the absence of others. Because of time and emotional investments, players derive significant emotional experiences from MMORPG environments, which may have an impact on their everyday relationships in the real world. The inference from the above observation is that MMORGs enhance the user’s capability to develop interpersonal relationships in the virtual environment; however, they tend to reduce the value and quality of interpersonal relationships in the real world.

Works Cited

Kelly, R. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games: the people, the addiction and the          playing experience. New York: McFarland, 2004. Print.

Martin, Benjamin. A qualitative study of social skill learning opportunities in massively       multiplayer online role-playing games. New York: ProQuest, 2008. Print.

Ozok, Ant and Zaphiris Panayiotis. Online communities and social computing: third          international conference, ocsc 2009, held as part of HCI International 2009, San Diego,         CA, USA, July 19-24, 2009, Proceedings. London: Springer, 2009. Print.

Pezzeca, David. Depression, social isolation and fantasy role-playing game use among young       adults: comparing tabletop to videogame formats. Thesis/dissertation. Chestnut Hill:    Chestnut Hill College, 2009. Print.

Wiemer-Hastings, Peter. Addiction to internet and online gaming. Cyber Psychology and Behavior (2005): 110-115. Print.

Yee, Nicholas. “The psychology of Massively Multi-User Online Games: Motivations, emotional  investment, relationships and problematic usage.” Schroeder, R and A Axelson. Avatars           at work and play: Collaboration and interaction in shared virtual environments. London:       Springer-Verlag, 2006. 187-207.