This week I didn't focus the identity issues on SL, but another online game - "Lineage". This game was first active in Korea and soon became popular in Taiwan, United States, Japan and China. Lineage players can carry on daily activities online and also can experience violent activities, such as PK or a war. Doctor Whang and Chang (2004) conducted the research to "organize the similarities and differences in lifestyles and behaviors in the online game world based on the values held by gamers" (p.599). At first, they raised nine different characteristics of online game players values and lifestyles. They are gamers: social-oriented, traditional, outlaw, role play–oriented, achievement, materialistic, hierarchy, discriminative, and anti-group. After careful contrast with those explanations of each style, I find myself belong to the traditional players in such game worlds. I behave in a just and noble manner, always follow the decision made by my and really feel good when someone I know becomes famous. On the contrary, I don't think it's important that players around me are also doing well and don't like to chat with new players I meet in the game (Social oriented); it's not enjoyable for me to harass or bully inexperienced new players and I don't agree with the theft (Outlaw); If a player asks for my age or sexual gender, I will answer based on my real life character (Role play oriented); It doesn't matter how strong or powerful my avatar is (Achievement) and how wealthy I am (Materialistic); I don't want to sacrifice for my leader (Hierarchy) and I will join a clan (Anti-group) and don't care my group members' age or sexual gender (Discriminative).
This kind of classification is complicated and not systematic, so later Whang and Chang referred to the single-player, community-oriented player and off-real world type players, which the nine types of players above can be involved in. According to the research data, single-player type players don't want a close relationship with others, so they won't joint a clan and show the least frequency of PK at the same time; Community-oriented players, are not self centered and really appreciate the social network features, so they are the ones who show the highest sociability in games; In terms of off-real world players, they regard the game world as a new version of life for them, which is totally different from the reality, so they are most aggressive and have a higher chance to be addicted.
Summarizing Whang and Chang's article, I think the single kind players seem not to show too much desire in games, they just play for fun. It's easier for them to jump off the game world and go back to their real life, because they don't have a clan or friends and don't want to get more money or high levels. For those people who belongs to the community-oriented players, they should have a higher sense of responsibility for their family and company in the society than the other two groups. It's difficult to imagine if a person donesn't do so in reality how can he or she performs the loyalty in the virtual world, such as sacrifice for somebody else. The off-real world players are commonly the ones who we think being addicted to games. They care so much so that they can have the anti-social behaviors in game world. These may influence the thoughts they have and induce the violent behaviors in the real world.
Reference
Whang, L., & Chang, G. (2004). Lifestyles of virtual world residents: Living in the on-line game “Lineage”. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7(5), 592-600.
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