Online Gaming Communities

[Holmeser]

Hi,

I have been a member here for about 6 or 7 years, having been completely inactive for the last 3 or 4. Throughout that time everyone here has been nothing but helpful and nice, so I'd like to begin by thanking you all for that.

I am currently a student at the University of Brighton, and as part of my degree I am conducting a research project into the online communities that form around video gaming. It would be wonderful it anyone could fill out a quick questionnaire about their personal gaming habits and their views on online gaming communities. I have asked for the moderators permission and they have very kindly allowed me to post it here.

This is the link to the questionnaire, it really shouldn't take long to fill out and it would be invaluable to both my study and my degree. All participants will be protected by anonymity within the study.

http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/YVOWU/

A quick note to anyone filling it in, by an 'Online Gaming Community' I am referring to a community outside of video games themselves - e.g. forums such as this one.

If you have any feedback on the questionnaire, or just general comments to make about 'Online Gaming Communities', then feel free to post in the thread.


Thank you all for you time,
Holmeser

[Khatovar]

Done, good luck with your studies, Holmeser.

[Wubsie]

Donesies as well. Keep pluggin away!

[Holmeser]

Just a quick question i'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on as well. What are your views on people who only play games on smartphones/tablet, or on social media (Facebook games like Farmville etc.), in your eyes do these people qualify as gamers, or as part of the gaming community?

[mbox_bob]

Yes in the sense that they frequently play games, regardless of device, and usually for long periods of time.
Personally for me, what defines a gamer?. Someone who plays games. I think it covers more than just electronic/video games too.

Game players that pay money to purchase tokens (call it what you may), in order to advance through, rather than play their way through it, I consider to be suckers rather than Gamers. Gamers Play, Suckers Pay.

Game players whose only interaction with the Community is the "look how great I am" in game status post to Facebook or equivalent, are not really Community members, they are just players exposing their narcissistic tendencies, which is a problem with todays western society where those tendencies are encouraged. If however their post to Facebook then goes on to generate a discussion about how they achieved such and such, and they provide insight to game mechanics (whether inadvertently or via knowledge), hints or tips to other players, then that starts entry into the Community.


p.s For the Suckers Pay, this excludes paying for content (expansions, questpacks, skins, mods, etc), I am referring to Pay for Advancement.

[Wubsie]

Personally I don't see them falling under the category of gamers just because they play a game. The gamer term sorta implies atleast a hobbyist mentality towards the activity if not more, and I'd think it's a stretch to fit the chick in class playing Candy Crush on her phone out of sheer boredom under the same term as you would use to describe someone who wants to spend their spare time on playing games. Of course if the mentality and continued level of play is there, then the choise of game is fairly irrelevant.

[Khatovar]

I don't really think social media games are games as much as vehicles for advertisers, but I don't have much experience with them outside of "Fuck you Facebook, I don't want to play Fruit Bucket Bingo with someone who knows my aunt!" I don't dispute that gamers play those games as well, but they are designed to be mindless timewasters. Junk food gaming I guess.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I don't really think social media games are games as much as vehicles for advertisers, but I don't have much experience with them outside of "Fuck you Facebook, I don't want to play Fruit Bucket Bingo with someone who knows my aunt!" I don't dispute that gamers play those games as well, but they are designed to be mindless timewasters. Junk food gaming I guess.

^

When I think gamer, I think of someone that's played FPS, RTS, MMO, or some game that requires you to do more than tap a screen when it flashes. As a few examples of games a person enjoys playing and spends enough time to actually get familiar with them:

tetris, farmville, candy crush = not a gamer
PC games from PopCap = not a gamer
Console games like Kinect Fruit Ninja, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Uno, UFC, Punchout, Madden, Fifa = not a gamer

Console games like GTA, fighting games, etc. = borderline gamer

PC games that require you to (or enhance things noticeably when you) configure macros, rebind keys, or assign combat groups = gamer
Console games like Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Assassin's Creed, CoD, MoH, World of Tanks, Dead Island, Halo, Mass Effect, God of War, Darksiders = gamer
PC RTS games, MMOs, Minecraft, Dark Souls = definitely a gamer

IMNTBHO...

[EaTCarbS]

I would argue that there are varying degrees of "gamer." Casual v. Hardcore. A farmville junky would be considered casual, while we here of course are the opposite end of the spectrum.

[Holmeser]

The questionnaire is now closed. Thank you everyone for all your help, it is very much appreciated.

I do however have one more question to ask: Is this the only online gaming community (forums, chat rooms etc.) you are a member of? Or are you a member of multiple other online gaming communities?

Thank you.

Holmeser