New Media & MMORPG's

From Baruchnewmedia

1 MMORPG
2 MMORPGs vs Reality
3 Business Models
4 Addiction
5 MMOs and Business
6 Gold Farming
7 Virtual Crimes
8 Games
9 Companies using Second life
10 Console Gaming
11 References

MMORPG

What is a MMORPG ?

MMORPG is an acronym for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. MMORPGs are games in which players create their own avatars and explore the virtual worlds. These virtual worlds may be based off existing works (World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Star Trek Online), completely originals works (Guild Wars, Ragnarok Online, Dungeon Fighter Online), or they may even be loosely based on historical events (Granado Espada, Red Cliff). Most MMORPGs allow for individuals to interact with existing communities, create new communities via in-game guild/clan systems, and barter and trade with other players.

If you want to meet a lot of people, customize your character, and delve into complex worlds, or maybe even just burn some time, MMORPGs may be for you.

MMORPGs vs Reality

MMORPGs affect consumers psychologically and economically. One criticism of MMORPGs is that they turn consumers into lifeless zombies that are constantly staring at their computer screens. Some people become so obsessed with MMORPGs that they may neglect their physical needs or the needs of others.^[1] Another criticism is that MMORPGs rely on the concept of the "Skinner Box" in which rats (players) are driven to keep pushing a button (repeat the same actions) constantly for a chance to get a food pellet (new item). ^[2]

Defenders of MMORPGs claim that the players are making new friends and interacting with one another in a safe, controlled environment. MMORPGs can also help a person learn how to interact in social situations which, in theory, could be transferred into real life social skills. Some MMORPGs have developed sophisticated economies with equipment, currency, and characters within the game being exchanged online for real money. This has led to the study of "synthetic economies"^[3] and how they relate to real world economies. Organizations are also using virtual worlds as training and recruiting tools in education, business^[4] and the military^[5].

Business Models

MMORPG developers make use of different Business models to profit from their games.

Free to Play Model: Does not require a subscription for players to play the game. The game can be supported by advertisements that appear before the game, or during the game. There are often cash items where the game developers offer items that can only be purchased by real money and not the ingame virtual money. They can be for asthetic appeal, or offer useful benefits to the players. Free to play mmmorpgs tend to be of lesser quality but not necessarily.

Pay to Play Model: Requires a monthly subscription fee for players to play the game. The appeal of pay to play mmorpgs are the fact that they are high quality games created by popular game developers. They tend to have improved graphics, gameplay features, and more.

Mixed Model: The mixed model is a hybrid model that incoporates features of both business models. They have basic players who play for free and premium players who pay to play. Often the game developers will have two types of servers. Dedicated servers for the paying players, while free players will all be playing on a fewer congested servers which could result in long log in times, and severe lag. Game developers can also have game features that are only available if you are a premium player. If there are ads in the game, they will be removed for premium players.

Sometimes companies allow players to purchase prepaid cards instead of having them worry about buying ingame cash with credit cards or PayPal. Shops like BestBuy and Target sells them. Although not MMORPGs, sites with virtual pets, such as Webkins and Neopets, also make use of prepaid cards or something similar in nature.

Addiction

One of the problems that can arise with MMORPGs is the potential addiction that comes from playing these games. Currently, the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM IV) does not label gaming addiction as a mental illness. For many players engulfed in the virtual world, however, the dependency is still undeniably real. The AMA’s council on science and public health stated that social dysfunction may be a side effect of spending too much time behind a screen. The chairman of the council also noted that by labeling gaming addiction as a disorder, more studies can be done on the subject to find the right therapy for the problem.^[6]

In 2005, China alone had users spending nearly five million on online games. This devotion to games raised concern in China, which eventually imposed a penalty on players. Gamers younger than 18 had their abilities reduced after three hours of play and severely limited after five hours, forcing them to take a five hour break before they can play normally again.^[7] Although World of Warcraft did have this system put in place in China, very few other games have followed suit. The games that have actually installed the system also have workarounds to bypass it, such as using an adult's identification card.

MMOs and Business

With a growing number of users getting into virtual worlds, there is a hidden market for entrepreneurship. In games such Second Life, real money is exchanged for 300 Linden dollars which can be used to purchase in-game items. Users are also allowed to purchase and sell items to other players such as clothing, accessories, and even renting out land. By allowing this form of free market, users can make real profits from selling in-game products or renting out land. In 2003, Linden Lab made a policy giving ownership of virtual creations to their makers. This allowed creation such as Tringo, a combined puzzle-like game of bingo, to make profits for the user and programmer Nathan Keir. The game’s popularity in Second Life drew attention from Nintendo Company and was made available for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and cellphones^[8].

Business Opportunities

There are as many opportunities for innovation and profit in the Second Life world as in the Real World. Open a nightclub, sell jewelry, become a land speculator; the choice is yours to make. Thousands of residents are making part or all of their real life income from their Second Life Businesses.

By way of example, here are just a few in-world business occupations which Residents founded and currently run, and make part or all of their real life living from:

Party and wedding planner, pet manufacturer, tattooist, nightclub owner, automotive manufacturer, fashion designer, aerospace engineer, custom avatar designer, jewelry maker, architect, XML coder, freelance scripter, game developer, fine artist, machinist set designer, tour guide, dancer, musician, custom animation creator, theme park developer, real estate speculator, vacation resort owner, advertiser, bodyguard, magazine, publisher, private detective, writer, gamer, landscaper, publicist, special effects designer, gunsmith, hug maker, and so on.

Gold Farming

Since in most mmorpgs, players are able to trade with each other, some players expolit this opportunity to make real life money. The most common way is to "farm" for "gold" (any ingame currency) or items and then sell the gold or items online using websites such as ebay or forums. In some larger games, there are even websites dedicated to selling this ingame currency. This affects in the inagme economy, since gold purchasing players will be able to accumulate a virtual wealth easily giving them an advantage over non gold-purchasing players.

Governments see this as an opportunity to gain additional tax revenues.

In the game SecondLife, it is actually possibly to convert the ingame money into real life money.

References:

Picture: http://www.gossipgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/wow-gold.jpg

Virtual Crimes

An article about a global crackdown on online gaming and gamers: “Players in South Korea have been prosecuted for stealing virtual property. More than half of the 40,000 computer crimes investigated by South Korea’s National Police Agency in 2003 involved online games.” ^[9] It shows how a government can be totalitarian, where they would interfere with the virtual world. It shows how consumers are so into games that they would ask the government to interfere, such as when "a Chinese court ordered a game company to restore virtual biochemical weapons someone had pilfered from a player."^[9] This completely shows how the new age of Media and MMORPG are affecting the world. All ingame properties that are stolen can easily be turned in to a real world profit. Like the gold farming section above explained, the gold and items with in a game can be sold. By hacking in to another persons account, they can take all the gold the person has and sell it back to the very people they steal it from.

References:

Picture: http://www.newsline.com.pk/newsOct2007/IMAGES/cybercrime.jpg

Games

MMORPGs are considered games, yet they are also considered to be part of New Media. It is becoming a new medium in which people can interact and communicate with one another.

Fallen Earth — 3D Post-apocalyptic. Pay to play. $14.99
Fiesta — 3D Fantasy, free to play
Final Fantasy XI — 3D Final Fantasy universe (Multiplatform: PC, Playstation 2, Xbox 360) $12.95
Fung Wan Online — 3D Chinese Fantasy
Furcadia — 2D Fantasy. Free to play, but you can buy items in item shop.
Guild Wars - 3D Buy to Play MMORPG with dungeon instances gameplay.
MapleStory - Free to Play 2D side scrolling Korean MMORPG
Sword of the New World - 3D Korean MMORPG, based on an alternate dimension of Colonial America. Free to play
Warhammer Online - Pay to play 3D MMO, fantasy based. $14.99
Warrior Epic - 3D MMORPG with dungeon instances gameplay. Free to play, but you can buy items in item shop.
World of WarCraft - Pay to Play 3D MMO, fantasy based. $14.99
Lineage1 - Korean MMORPG. fantasy based, pay to play. $15
Lineage2 - Korean 3D MMORPG. Fantasy based, pay to play. $14.99

Some of these MMORPGs are hosted by the different companies. Some people like to play with a specific company like Nexon and ijji. Different companies will provide different type of environment and players.

More can be found on websites that have directories of MMORPG's such as MMO Hub and MMOsite. You can also find ratings and comments about MMORPG games on sites such as mmorpg.com.

References: http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/w/world_of_warcraft-1922.jpg

Companies using Second life

"We are a small community. Someone sent a resume and wanted to meet in SL to discuss job prospects," Jaffe says. "When we met, I realized that we had met before in Second Life when the senior editor of the Harvard Business Review gave a talk on marketing in Second Life." As more of real life pushes into Second Life, corporations and even individuals will tap long-time denizens and gamers for their skills, and Berger says more work is coming. "We will start to see the need for maintenance, including virtual shopkeepers who need to man the virtual store."^[10]