Anarchy Online: Online gamers and the Myths - Article on Justgamers

Terri "Ziana" Perkins, Mitarbeiterin Funcom

For years I hid the fact that I was an online gamer. Not only do I choose to spend my leisure time in virtual worlds, so does everyone else in my household. We all have battled the stigma associated with being an online gamer. It was more or less safer to say you were frequenting chat rooms or on Ebay than to admit you belonged to a virtual world. People just don't understand online worlds or want to believe that anyone could spend a great deal of time on the internet and not be surfing porn. Attempts at trying to explain would result in the "Oh suuuuure"-looks. When I began volunteering to work with games back in the early 90's, the stigma was worse. People envisioned the pocket protector wearing, reclusive male that muttered to himself and stayed up late at night trying to hack into their bank account. Being a somewhat educated female that held a professional job by day didn't fit the mold. Understandable I suppose from those afraid to venture into online worlds. At work or school, you just didn't mention the online part of your life.

However I was quite surprised to find similar views from online people. Many seemed sure they were the only sane person online and all others were some sort of freaks that you should keep your children away from. No one would believe I was actually a girl on top of this. After working with a mud for several years, two of the players were going to be in my hometown for a visit. I invited them out for dinner. They were in college and wanted to go, but stated their parents insisted on meeting me first as they were convinced anyone online had to be evil incarnate. I drove out to meet them and tried not to laugh as the entire family stared and I watched as they processed that I appeared to be just like their coworkers and friends rather than having a tail or whatever they expected. The friends were allowed to go to dinner with me and apologized profusely for their parents. "They just don't understand and think anyone we meet from an online game is out to kill you or something." I cheered the parents for being wary of any strangers and looking out for their kids, but wondered where the fear of gamers in general came from. Even my own son has been affected by these myths. I dragged him along to a recent meeting of AO fans and the first words out of his mouth were "Wow...they look so normal!"

What makes people have this image of online gamers? Movies like "The Hackers" and "The Maze" certainly contributed I suppose, but that I can understand. What I can't understand is the media's willingness to perpetuate this. Right after the horrible Columbine tragedy as I sat watching this unbelievable horror play out in front of me, I noticed the reporters all mentioned one thing, the suspects were known to play an online game. They didn't blame the game of course, but the innuendo was there. I wanted to scream, did they also drink Coke or perhaps Read or watch Television? The duo had been bowling that morning, but that wasn't mentioned. The fact they played an online game was thrown in as if to explain it all.
A few months back a story all over the news about a child that died while their mother was playing a game online. If the parent was washing the dishes, having an affair, working, reading, sewing, building model trains it doesn't seem to merit attention, but if they were playing an online game, well that changes everything. I know, positive things aren't as good for ratings I suppose, but the good is there and shouldn't be overlooked. This article (http://www.anarchy-online.com/content/news/articles/6100L/ ) will never make headline news, but it was a very nice article in my opinion. Nor will we hear much about the people that state an online game saved their marriage or that they met their soul mate, best friend or spouse in an online game though those things happen more than the negatives. These stories are out there, but not picked up by the major news carriers. Fear is better for ratings.

Recently when speaking with a reporter who was to review our latest expansion pack, "Shadowlands", I received a message from him. "Is it true that it's like crack, if I start playing I won't be able to stop?" First I thought he was joking, but he was not. I explained to him that despite the hype, the fact is that most gamers lead productive lives. Most are employed full time, a large percentage are students. I also pointed out that there is zero evidence to indicate an online game is any more addicting than an offline game.

A few days ago a large Swedish site was interviewing Funcom's game director, Gaute Godager and asked , "most MMORPG's seems like they are only for geeks with special interests, what do you think needs to be done to have everyone play MMO's?"

Why are gamers considered geeks with special interests? Gamers are not, for the most part, any more or less social parasites than their non gamer counterparts. Such wide stereotyping is not acceptable when applied to "Motorcycle enthusiasts" or "movie aficionados", to "avid readers" or to "fitness buffs". Why are we more scorned than even "couch potatoes"?

The Myths:

Online gaming turns you into a recluse?
Bzzzt. Not according to 65 percent of students surveyed that state it does not interfere with time they would spend with family and friends (www.pewinternet.org)

Nick Yee, has some wonderful articles on this as well. Theesa.com studies show that The vast majority of people who play games do so with friends and family. (Almost sixty percent of frequent game players play with friends, thirty-three percent play with siblings, and about one-quarter play with their spouse and/or parents.) (www.theesa.com)

Online games are extremely social. Not only do you interact with people from all over the world virtually, but this also has led to numerous friendships and even romances in the "real world". Social interaction is a major part of online gaming.

Online games are too violent and lead to violence.
It isn't often mentioned that there is less violence in online gaming than console gaming. (www.units.muohio.edu) I, nor any of my friends or family that play online games has ever been accused of being violent - (www.fepproject.org)

Gaming is for males only
Years ago, females were a definite minority in virtual worlds, but it has about evened out. (cyberatlas.internet.com)

Online gaming is only for kids?
Bzzzt - www.pewinternet.org
While senior citizens are not the largest percentage of online users, it's growing as well. Currently the average age of gamers is 29, though 50 percent of all Americans age 6 and older play video games according to www.theesa.com

Playing online games has negative effects on school
Not necessarily so. Recent studies in a variety of mediums are showing that time spent studying by gamers is equivalent to that of non gamers. Studies now are also showing the improved hand eye coordination linked to gaming and therapeutic values of gaming are being investigated by several studies.
skolenett.no

www.futureofchildren.org
www.bcs.rochester.edu
Another source for information on online gamers is at:
www.nickyee.com

To say that that games are positive influences gets about the same reaction today that Magellan must have received when proclaiming the world was round. All the people traveling with him understood it, but to those who had not seen it themselves, the idea was just too bizarre. Online gamers are not all "geeks", not all men, not all pre-teens and certainly not all dysfunctional people unable to think or do anything outside of gaming.
The online gamer is generally between 25 and 55, has at least some higher education and is just as likely to be female as male.

While anything done in excess or when done by some individuals can lead to negative consequences, online games are not out to destroy your life or even take it over. It's a wonderful means of entertainment that has gotten a bum rap. We live in a very hectic world where everyone has limited free time. The choice to spend that leisure time in a virtual world with many thousands of fellow humans is a much more appealing activity to me (and a growing portion of the world) than to stare mindlessly at television content that I can merely watch and not participate in. The time for society to take a second look at online games and those who play them and to redefine the definition of a gamer is here.