Social interaction and first-person shooters

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The term first-person shooter (FPS) describes a video game genre where players participate in weapon-based combat all in the first person, or from the perspective of their character. One of the more notable features of FPS games is its compatibility for networked, then later online, multiplayer gaming, where players could bring their skills to a national and then later a global arena. In a genre consisting of players hunting and killing other players, FPS games are found to include a source of rich communication and social interactions between players. [1]

Contents

Online communication

Communication online consists of a mix of both verbal and non-verbal interactions. Like in the real world, these interactions have individual meanings, social norms, policies, and a set of subsequent reactions to these interactions. All these interactions are aided and have become possible with advancements and the developing of game technology and design. [2]

Arenas for communication

Online interactions between individuals is not a new medium for socialization. Console creators such as Microsoft (Xbox gaming console) and Sony (PlayStation gaming console) advertise their console releases referencing the idea of "the Third Place." [2] The metaphor of "the Third Place" references an idea invented by Ray Oldenburg in 1989. [2] He described "the Third Place" as a distinct arena other than one's home and workplace, which is conductive to socializing. [2] As Oldenburg described it: “Third places exist on neutral ground and serve to level their guests to a condition of social equality. Within these places, conversation is the primary activity and a major vehicle for the display and appreciation of human personality and individuality. Third places are taken for granted and most have a low-profile. The character of a third place is determined most of all by its regular clientele and is marked by a playful mood.” [2]

Pre-game lobbies

In FPS, there are a number of arenas where interactions occur between players, the first interaction being pre-game lobbies. In pre-game lobbies, players communicate with one another over tactics, harass players on the other team, chat generally between members and friends on the same team, and offer new releases in the genre (new patches, politics of companies, thoughts of recent or upcoming conventions, etc.). All of these interactions tend to be verbal because players have not yet entered the game. However, these actions impact the manner in which players perform in game. Players may perform better or worse depending on the emotional/psychological impact of the interactions on the player. These players are better suited to carry the burden to play better than those who become distracted by interactions.

In-game

Verbal communication

In-game chat is the most popular of arena for interaction. Players can communicate between other players on the same team through a system supported by Voice Over IP using a microphone and headset. [2] Players use this time for a number of types of talk:

creative game talk: naming or identity talk; joking, irony, and word play; changing game rules and technical limits, and popular culture references to in-game talk. [3]
game conflict talk: players communicate about different problems with the game experience: camping [4] (when a player remains in one place, usually in a strategic or choke point of the map), accusations on cheating, about kicking or banning, and over ways of dealing with rule breaking or rules of the game. [3]
insult/distancing talk: taunting or trash talking, annoyance talk, explicit gendered, racialized, or homophobic talk, or pissed off talk. [3]
performance talk: re-locaters (the blaming of something else for "failed performance), vulnerability/apologies for failure talk, final scene talk ("showdowns" near the end of game or between the last players of the game), game strategy/tactical talk, team talk (switching teams or choosing teams), friendly fire talk (apologies for team killing), support talk, teaching talk, game action, dead talk, or kill talk (usually in response to a "good" kill). [3]
game technical/external talk: ping rate/lag talk, talk about technical matters, talk about other games, clan talk/statistics talk, map related talk, or requests for information. [3]

In-game communication also has an alternate form, a non-verbal aspect of communication between players.

Non-verbal communication

Gestures and character actions makeup the majority of non-verbal communication. Just like in real life, online communication is a mix between verbal and non-verbal communication which have their own syntax and accepted meaning in the gaming community. "Teabagging" is a well known and popular non-verbal action commonly found in the Halo (Halo 2 and so on) series. Teabagging is when a character kills their opponent then subsequently goes from standing to crouching while standing over a body of a dead foe or teammate. [4] "Camping" is another form of non-verbal communication where a player remains at one point on the map where one has an advantage over other players because of strategic or a choke point on the map. Camping usually gets an enraged response from other players and usually the players gains a less favorable outlook from opposing players. [4] "Sniping" is a subsection of camping, though seen as a more legitimate form of motionless combat, players have problems with efficient snipers who gain a location with full coverage of the combat zone, or map. [4] "Shot in the dark", or popularly known as "pray-and-spray" or "poke-and-hope", is when a player "fires from the hip" (firing without aiming down their sight) and does not aim for a specific target on their opponent. Most FPS players pride themselves on their skill and tactics and do not see blindly firing down range as evidence of lack of skill. [4]

Post-game and scoreboard lobby

After the final kills were accounted for and a team was named victorious the game transitions to the post-game/scoreboard lobby. Like pre-game communication, most are confined to verbal communication. Post-game chatter consists mostly of play-by-play of the recent game performances, trash talking between players on opposing teams, and excitement for future games between teammates and friends.

Socializing online

Playing online games is not just for the mere fact of showing off one's skills in the digital arena, the real draw for opponents and the draw for even participating in the digital arena is the knowledge that there is a real, emotional being on the other end to compete against. [5] Individuals who play online games, especially FPS players, do not play for intellectual or educational reasons, however, most play for the social world that they have the opportunity to get involved with. The social world that they seek includes ultra-competitiveness, forming clans, trash-talking, swearing at the winners, and lording over the losers. [5]

Identity

For all prospective and current gamers, establishing and developing one's identity is crucial and only natural in a social arena. Identity can take many forms:

gamer-tag: made popular by Microsoft, a gamer-tag is a single identity for each player that remains constant regardless of game or vendor" [2]
character class: a specific role that a player fits into when playing in a game, like those roles in a workplace instead now the digital battlefield." [2] A player then hones their skills and strategies to become the most dominant player, of this type, on the battlefield.

Gamer-tag

Gamer-tags are personally customable for every player and are the "name" that one takes when playing games online. What one calls oneself is a basic forms of identity even in the real world. [6] For FPS, and other online games, gamer-tags keep individual players anonymous to other players while they interact in the virtual world. [6] Though usually players form their gamer-tags to depict humorous topics but other gamer-tags display a player's ties to online clans or preference on game titles. [7]

Side effects in online communication

It is a non-disputed fact that game players seek out game play for social reasons, but especially in networked games, the attractions are the other players, the relationships between them, and their impact on out-of-game community and relationships. [8]

Differences in gender

Differences in gender among players is a very common topic of discussion between players, in analyses in published written works, in internet forums, game critics, and game designers/makers. Games are made with expectations pre-incorporated into the designing process, gender is employed as a basic social demographic control, rather than as a dynamic element that shapes how players approach games, interact within them, and negotiate expectations. The subject of gender role theory, or shared cultural expectations that are placed on individuals on the basis of their socially defined gender, is one lens in which researchers observe interactions online between players. [8]

Gender stereotypes

In online gaming, the majority of the gaming population is male. [1] In fact, 40 percent of gamers online are female and the number of females gamers over the age of eighteen compose a greater part of the gamer population than males under the age of seventeen. According to the gender role theory and the observations in Dmitri Williams' article on gender roles in video games, since males by nature exhibit traits of competitiveness, aggression, and being ambitious, men are more likely to find interest in video games and are more likely to play them longer and more frequently than women. [8]

Male and female players and what they set out to achieve in video games is different when they play. In the observations of Dmitri Williams, male play tends to more achievement-oriented reasons, while female players tend to play for socializing aspects of play. [8]

Sexual harassment

In online gaming, female players face sexual harassment and hazing in game as well as in tournament play.

Trash-talking

With all of the different types of verbal communication that occurs in chat, trash-talking is the most common way players socialize online.[ citation needed ] Trash-talking is a form of discourse that happens when a subject tries to anger or make fun of another player in attempt to show dominance. Trash-talking is observed in any game title that exists online. Trash talking goes both ways, when a player cannot back up their taunts players on the same team will verbally attacks teammates who do not hold their end on the battlefield. Players who talk but cannot act are disapproved of in games and seen as socially unacceptable by players.

Related Research Articles

A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.

An internet relationship is a relationship between people who have met online, and in many cases know each other only via the Internet. Online relationships are similar in many ways to pen pal relationships. This relationship can be romantic, platonic, or even based on business affairs. An internet relationship is generally sustained for a certain amount of time before being titled a relationship, just as in-person relationships. The major difference here is that an internet relationship is sustained via computer or online service, and the individuals in the relationship may or may not ever meet each other in person. Otherwise, the term is quite broad and can include relationships based upon text, video, audio, or even virtual character. This relationship can be between people in different regions, different countries, different sides of the world, or even people who reside in the same area but do not communicate in person.

A virtual community is a social work of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communities are online communities operating under social networking services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamer</span> Hobbyist who plays video games

A gamer is a someone who plays interactive games, either video games, tabletop role-playing games, skill-based card games, or any combination thereof, and who plays for usually long periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved into a profession for some, with some gamers routinely competing in games for money, prizes, or awards. In some countries, such as the US, UK, and Australia, the term "gaming" can refer to legalized gambling, which can take both traditional and digital forms, such as through online gambling. There are many different gamer communities around the world. Since the advent of the Internet, many communities take the form of Internet forums or YouTube or Twitch virtual communities, as well as in-person social clubs. In 2021, there were an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe.

Human communication, or anthroposemiotics, is a field of study dedicated to understanding how humans communicate. Humans' ability to communicate with one another would not be possible without an understanding of what we are referencing or thinking about. Because humans are unable to fully understand one another's perspective, there needs to be a creation of commonality through a shared mindset or viewpoint. The field of communication is very diverse, as there are multiple layers of what communication is and how we use its different features as human beings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conversation</span> Interactive communication between two or more people

Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus of language teaching and learning. Conversation analysis is a branch of sociology which studies the structure and organization of human interaction, with a more specific focus on conversational interaction.

A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system, on different computing systems via a local area network, or via a wide area network, most commonly the Internet. Multiplayer games usually require players to share a single game system or use networking technology to play together over a greater distance; players may compete against one or more human contestants, work cooperatively with a human partner to achieve a common goal, or supervise other players' activity. Due to multiplayer games allowing players to interact with other individuals, they provide an element of social communication absent from single-player games.

In video games, a clan, community, guild or faction is an organized group of video game players that regularly play together in one or more multiplayer games. Many clans take part in gaming competitions, but some clans are just small gaming squads consisting of friends. These squads range from groups of a few friends to four-thousand plus person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members. The lifespan of a clan also varies considerably, from a few weeks to over a decade. Numerous clans exist for nearly every online game available today, notably in first-person shooters (FPS), massively multiplayer games (MMO), role-playing video games (RPG), and strategy games. There are also meta-groups that span a wide variety of games. Some clans formed by groups of players have grown into multi-million dollar professional esports teams.

Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication. It describes the wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In this sense, it seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act, communicate, and perceive the world around them. Intercultural communication focuses on the recognition and respect of those with cultural differences. The goal is mutual adaptation between two or more distinct cultures which leads to biculturalism/multiculturalism rather than complete assimilation. It promotes the development of cultural sensitivity and allows for empathic understanding across different cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avatar (computing)</span> Graphical representation of a user or a users alter ego or character

In computing, an avatar is a graphical representation of a user, the user's character, or persona. Avatars can be two-dimensional icons in Internet forums and other online communities, where they are also known as profile pictures, userpics, or formerly picons. Alternatively, an avatar can take the form of a three-dimensional model, as used in online worlds and video games, or an imaginary character with no graphical appearance, as in text-based games or worlds such as MUDs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online game</span> Video game played over the Internet

An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played through the Internet or any other computer network available. Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, and span many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy games, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). In 2019, revenue in the online games segment reached $16.9 billion, with $4.2 billion generated by China and $3.5 billion in the United States. Since the 2010s, a common trend among online games has been to operate them as games as a service, using monetization schemes such as loot boxes and battle passes as purchasable items atop freely-offered games. Unlike purchased retail games, online games have the problem of not being permanently playable, as they require special servers in order to function.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to video games:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social behavior</span> Behavior among two or more organisms within the same species

Social behavior is behavior among two or more organisms within the same species, and encompasses any behavior in which one member affects the other. This is due to an interaction among those members. Social behavior can be seen as similar to an exchange of goods, with the expectation that when you give, you will receive the same. This behavior can be affected by both the qualities of the individual and the environmental (situational) factors. Therefore, social behavior arises as a result of an interaction between the two—the organism and its environment. This means that, in regards to humans, social behavior can be determined by both the individual characteristics of the person, and the situation they are in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trash talk</span> Form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations

Trash talk is a form of spoken insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their abilities so as to win easier, but it can also be used in a humorous spirit. Trash-talk is often characterized by use of hyperbole or figurative language, such as "Your team can't run! You run like honey on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are commonly used.

Video game culture or gaming culture is a worldwide new media subculture formed by video game hobbyists. As video games have exponentially increased in sophistication, accessibility and popularity over time, they have had a significant influence on popular culture, particularly among adolescents and young adult males. Video game culture has also evolved with Internet culture and the increasing popularity of mobile games, which has led to an increase in the female demographic that play video games.

Social interactions in MMORPGS take the form of in-game communication, virtual behaviors, and the development of interpersonal and group relationships. In massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), cooperation between players to accomplish difficult tasks is often an integral mechanic of gameplay, and organized groups of players, often called guilds, clans, or factions, emerge. Sometimes the relationships players from within the game spill over into friendships or romantic relationships in the material world. In other instances, romantic partners and groups of material world friends find that playing together strengthens their bonds.

Sports communication is a specialized field of communication studies that specializes in the elements and examination of communication in a sports setting. The management of communication in sports organizations has evolved towards greater professionalization and incorporating technological innovations.

Gaming etiquette refers to the norms adopted while playing multiplayer video games. While specific genres and games have their own accepted rules of conduct, some of these rules are universal across almost all games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexism and video games</span> Gender-based prejudice or discrimination related to video games

Sexism in video gaming is prejudiced behavior or discrimination based on sex or gender as experienced by people who play and create video games, primarily women. This may manifest as sexual harassment or in the way genders are represented in games, such as when characters are presented according to gender-related tropes and stereotypes.

This is a non-comprehensive list that includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.

References

  1. 1 2 Xu, Yan; Cao, Xiang; Sellen, Abigail; Herbrich, Ralf; Graepel, Thore (2011). Sociable Killers: Understanding Social Relationships in an Online First-Person Shooter Game. ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (2011): ACM. pp. 197–206.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wadley, Greg; Gibbs, Martin; Hew, Kevin; Graham, Connor (2003). S. Viller and P. Wyeth (ed.). Proceedings of the Thirteenth Australian Conference on Computer Human Interaction. University of Queensland. pp. 238–241.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wright, Talmadge; Boria, Eric; Breidenbach, Paul (December 2002). "Creative Players Actions in FPS Online Video Games" (PDF). Game Studies. 2 (2): 1–12. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Worth, Mike (June 15, 2010). "5 FPS Maneuvers Everybody Hates (But Still Does)". Dorkly.com. Connected Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  5. 1 2 Zubek, Robert; Khoo, Aaron (2002). "Making the Human Care: On Building Engaging Bots" (PDF). AAAI Technical Report. Evanston, IL: Northeastern University Computer Science: 1–5. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 Ashley, James (Nov 6, 2010). "Anonymity, Identity and my XBox gamer tag" (online blog). The Imaginative Universal. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Smallwood, Karl (2012). "Gamer Tags" (online blog). Crack.com. Demand Media, Inc. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Dmirtri; Consalvo, Mia; Caplan, Scott; Yee, Nick (2009). "Looking for Gender: Gender Roles and Behaviors Among Online Gamers". Journal of Communication. 59 (4). International Communication Association: 700–725. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2009.01453.x. ISSN   0021-9916. S2CID   15383579.
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