Computing, Social Activity, and Entertainment: A Field Study of a Game MUD

  • Authors:

  • Jack Muramatsu;Mark S. Ackerman

  • Affiliations:

  • Computing, Organizations, Policy, and Society, Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, U.S.A.;Computing, Organizations, Policy, and Society, Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, U.S.A.

  • Venue:
  • Computer Supported Cooperative Work - Special issue on interaction and collaboration in MUDs
  • Year:
  • 1998

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Abstract

Are game and entertainment systems different than work-oriented systems?What drives the user‘s experience in a collaborative game? To answer thesequestions, we performed a participant-observation study of a combat MUD, agame similar to Dungeons and Dragons. Our interest is in how this socialworld is arranged and managed (rather than, for example, in how participantsform or display individual identities). The study explores the socialarrangements and activities that give meaning and structure to theparticipants. We found that conflict and cooperation were the dominantsocial activities on this MUD, much more so than sociability. The game‘smanagement played a critical function in maintaining and promoting theseactivities. Moreover, novelty and entertainment were important for thedesign of both the system features and the sociality itself.