Social PlayOutlineSlide 3Design projectHalo 2Slide 6Slide 7Social organizationPlay communityRolesRoles cont'dRoles in MMORPGsDesigning for rolesEmergent social phenomenaAssassin (Fall 2005)Assassin (Winter 2006)EmergenceRules as social contractRule negotiationRule negotiation cont'dRule breakingForbidden play"Spin the Bottle""Spin the Bottle" cont'dCyberingMMOEGGender BendingUnbounded communityGuildsDesign questionsMondaySocial PlayRobin BurkeGAM 224OutlineAdminRules paperDesign projectSocial PlayGAM 206: History of GamesUP Credit!M/W 1:30– 3:00 pmProfessor Robin BurkeDesign projectDue todayFirst draft of card gameNext WednesdayPresentationsCompleted gameReaction paper #2 was due MondayHalo 2Social PlayWhat is going on here?The play is not just on the screenit is in the roombetween the playersbetween the audience and the playersSocial PlayThis is the foundation of most pre-computer gamesthe only way to have an opponentImportant factor in play experiencehow else to explain "Thunderstorm"?Social organizationInternally-derivedthe game assign social roles to playersor game roles with social consequencesExternally-derivedthe players bring their own relationships to the gamePlay communityWe talk about the community that forms around a gamean instance of a game•(a game in play)Can be large•Players + spectators + referees + hot dog vendors + ....bounded game communityDifferent from the community that forms around a gamein order to promote it and share experiencesunbounded game communityRolesRoles are sets of characteristic behaviorsenabled or required by the game rulestaking a role often requires other players to assume opposing rolesExample"it" vs the rest in a game of tagoffensive vs defensive team in footballRoles cont'dGames let players assume many social rolesSometimesvery different from their normal ones•thug•cyborg warrior•kingBut with distancewith low risk "it's only a game"Some people (usually non-gamers) find social role experimentation disturbingbut this is not different from informal playRoles in MMORPGsAchieverswant to achieve the highest levels and best gearwill explore in order to do sowill socialize to learn moreExplorerswant to see more of the gameknow the most about the mapknow all of the spells and abilitiesSocializerswant to make friends and engage in group activitieswill accumulate levels as necessary to keep up with groupKillers / Grieferswant to exercise power over otherswill accumulate levels / gear in order to be able to cause more harmDesigning for rolesGame design can enhance or inhibit rolesTurn off / allow player vs player combat •= discourage / encourage the "killer" roleEnhance player to player communication •= encourage "socializer" roleRelease constant geographic expansions •= keep "explorer" types busyMake some quests unachievable by single individual •= require socializing by "achievers"Some games do all of these thingsto try to satisfy all of the audiencesEmergent social phenomenaRules have social consequencesNot always predictable how they will be realizedMay result in unexpected gameplay scenariosSome games try to eliminate thisBridge•partners are screened from each other to prevent signals•other than standard bidding conventionsAssassin (Fall 2005)individual vs individualone target per personrandomly assignedrestrictions on kill locationsConsequencesafter an initial burst of kills•nothing•no movement for weeksnumerous rule changes to speed things upultimately dropped players with no kills•left active playersExplanation"lying low" was very successfulsocial networks too sparseAssassin (Winter 2006)team vs teamassimilation rulezombie ruleno location restrictionsConsequencesfaster paced gamestudents skipping classExplanationsocial networks largerpossibilities for teamworkEmergence Couplings occur not just with in-game objects and behaviorsBut also with external individuals and relationshipsCan be hard to predictRules as social contractRemember that play exists as a safe space for conflictRulesmutually-agreed uponbindingrepeatablePlay requires agreementagreement generates a social relationshipsocial relationships require "negotiation" to maintainRule negotiationThe game becomes a place where social relationships are expressed"House rules"•Players agree to follow their own rules•may allow violations of standard rules•may enforce normally implicit rulesSocial tensions in the play communitymay be expressed as conflict over rulesBook's example•Foursquare•"Rooie Rules"Rule negotiation cont'dNot available (yet) in single-player gamesBut always possible in multi-player gameslimiting factor: tools for communicationExampleWoW•communication with opposite faction very, very limited•gameplay reason•sense of distance and hostility to opposing sideRule breakingUnsportsmanlikefollows the rules but doesn't acknowledge the play communityviolates the spirit of the gameCheaterviolates the rules in order to winwants unfair advantage but is still playingSpoil-sportviolates the magic circledenies the game its spaceForbidden playPlay with social relationshipscan turn into play that explores taboo areas of behaviorThe game creates distancein which (otherwise) unacceptable actsare contained and sanitizedExample"I killed my professor today""Spin the Bottle"Rules1 player in the middle, the rest in a circlecenter player spins a bottlekisses the player pointed toWhat does the kiss mean?execution of an operational rule•play relationshipsatisfaction of a desire for intimacy•romantic relationshipThe game generates deliberate ambiguity"Spin the Bottle" cont'dPlay with social rolesallows "trying on" social possibilitieswith lower riskwithout all of the normal consequencesCyberingusing the socialization mechanics of an on-line gameto create forbidden romantic / sexual playMMOEG"Massively Multi-player On-line Erotic Games"At least four titles in the next year or twoRapture On LineSpend the NightNaughty AmericaHeavenly Bodiesothers in the worksGames that exist (almost) entirely for the purpose