Multiplayer Online Games Research Articles

Tagging in 3DXChat animated sex game porn production

ABSTRACT This qualitative study of tagging practices within online animated pornographic content produced inside the massive online multiplayer game 3DXChat examines how user-generated porn producers position themselves within the structure of the online free porn platform XVideos and the porn conventions they relate their videos to. Based on a purposeful sample of 112 videos uploaded to XVideos, I retrieved 166 unique tags. I contextualize them through a two-year online ethnography experience and discuss them according to information categorization (taxonomy and folksonomy), sexual data within online porn platforms, and pornography. I conclude that 3DXChat user-generated porn is subject to the consolidated sex-tech structures of its time, leaning towards conventional porn categories; the few social tags reflect the in-between stage of ‘niched-mainstream’. Tags exemplify the serialization, indexation, influences, and potential limitations for sexual play.

Toxic behavior in multiplayer online games: the role of witnessed verbal aggression, game engagement intensity, and social self-efficacy

Online toxic behavior in multiplayer online games has gained attention in recent years. Given the potential negative impact of toxic behaviors on players’ well-being, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to the prevalence of toxic online behavior. This study investigated how witnessed verbal aggression, game engagement, and social self-efficacy influence verbal toxic behavior perpetration in multiplayer online games. Surveys were conducted with 647 students in China. The results showed that players who were more prone to intense gameplay engagement and witnessed more verbal toxicity in online multiplayer games were more likely to display verbal toxic behavior in multiplayer online games. A moderation analysis further revealed that the association between witnessed verbal toxicity and toxic behavior perpetration is positively moderated by social understanding self-efficacy and negatively moderated by social skill self-efficacy. In this article, the theoretical implications are discussed.

Unleashing the Possibilities of Play: Analyzing the positive and negative consequences of multiplayer online gaming

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of multiplayer online gaming (MOG), attracting significant attention for its potential impact on individuals and communities. While much research has focused on various aspects of MOG, there are gaps in understanding the comprehensive array of both positive and negative consequences associated with it. This research contributes significantly by employing a multi-method approach across three distinct phases. Initially, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify four positive and three negative components of multiplayer online gaming effects. In the subsequent phase, diverse regression modeling techniques in machine learning were applied to these components. Notably, both XGBoost and LightGBM algorithms demonstrated the highest accuracy, achieving 75.6% and 77.5% respectively for positive and negative components, surpassing other algorithms used. Finally, an Android-based application was employed for experimental validation, specifically targeting cognitive functions such as reaction time and multitasking. “Results indicated that multiplayer online gamers exhibited quicker visual reflexes (0.393 s) compared to non-gamers (0.525 s) and slightly better multitasking ability (6.033 s vs. 7.067 s). These findings suggest that multiplayer online gaming can positively impact cognitive skills, yet excessive engagement may lead to detrimental effects such as a decline in academic performance. This research aims to analyze the cognitive impacts of multiplayer online gaming by identifying its positive and negative effects, providing valuable insights for future researchers, parents, and gamers to promote informed decision-making and well-being.

Statistical mathematics in video games

Abstract. Statistics play a crucial role in game design and development, with statistical mathematics being an essential element that developers must carefully consider. The paper introduces how statistical elements can be utilized to develop a creative gameplay mechanism that precisely aligns with the general requirements of players. Since the players gaming experience is considered the most important factor in a game, developers should be open to modifying their game based on feedback from dissatisfied players, which will enable the development team to provide an enhanced experience for all players. For multiplayer online games, the matching mechanism, which determines the teammates and opponents for each player, is just as crucial as the game's basic gameplay mechanism. Through statistical classification methods, we can improve the fairness of this matching process by analyzing players previous behavior and labeling them with their level. Overall, we can conclude that statistics can be used to design games by establishing a general framework and incorporating compelling elements. Additionally, statistics are essential for balancing game attributes and facilitating the perfect matching process.

Towards Ethical AI Moderation in Multiplayer Games

AI is increasingly being used to moderate player behaviour in online multiplayer games, working to identify and respond to toxic and problematic conduct with greater efficiency and accuracy than existing automated systems. However, little work has explored the application of AI moderation in the gaming ecosystem, despite growing ethical concerns about AI applications in other domains. In this study, we conducted 2 expert workshops and interviewed 26 players and industry professionals on their understandings, perceptions and experiences with AI moderation in multiplayer games. Applying a metaphorical frame via template analysis, we outline four metaphors that capture participants' views on the roles of AI and automation in moderation: the Unreliable Police Force, the Unscrupulous Governor, the Uncaring Judge, and the Untiring Assistant. We discuss these roles as exacerbating a top-down, punitive online justice system and identify ethical concerns around transparency, fairness and inclusion, privacy, and human-AI collaboration. To address these concerns, we put forward a set of ethical design considerations and alternative roles for AI moderation in multiplayer games.

Engagement Strategies in a Peer-quizzing Game: Investigating Student Interactions and Powergaming

Educational games are a popular means of engaging students in learning activities. However, students in game-based learning environments often engage in powergaming to reap undeserved rewards and spoil the experi-ence of their peers. This may happen when the students pretend to engage in game activities or collude with other students, exploiting the game settings and rules to maximize their points. In this explorative study, we investigate powergaming in three settings of an asynchronous online multiplayer peer-quizzing game in a blended learning setting – a first-year programming class in a Canadian university. We designed three experi-mental settings with three versions of an education game which allowed different levels of powergaming. The between-subject study involved three experimental groups: Group 1 used a game version where they received weekly performance feedback and tips on how to improve their performance, Group 2 used a game version with access to an existing resource bank, allowing them to maximize the number if their activities in the game, and Group 3 served as a control group with no additional interventions. The research aimed to investigate 1) the association between the power gamers' activity, their grades and their preference to work alone or in a group, 2) the types of activities (type of quiz questions) most used by power gamers, and 3) which game setting was the most conducive to power gaming. The results show that better grades are not associated with higher activity levels in the game. Students who engaged in more diverse types of game activities had better learning outcomes The control Group 3 had the highest average grades. As we expected, Group 2 engaged in the high-est number of activities, esp. in creating questions, a form of powergaming. The qualitative results showed that contrary to our assumption the powergamers in Group 2 was not harmful, because it created a rich set of re-sources in the game and fostered student engagement in the game.

Examining the Role of Multiplayer Online Games in Enhancing Communicative Competence: Insights from Kuwaiti Students

Examining the Role of Multiplayer Online Games in Enhancing Communicative Competence: Insights from Kuwaiti Students

With great power comes great accountability: Network positions, victimization, perpetration, and victim-perpetrator overlap in an online multiplayer game

With great power comes great accountability: Network positions, victimization, perpetration, and victim-perpetrator overlap in an online multiplayer game

Toxicity or Prosociality?: Civic Value and Gaming Citizenship in Competitive Video Game Communities

Background Online multiplayer video games are characterized by competitiveness and collaboration: the former resonates with toxicity and the latter with civic values. While it is urgent to consider efficient ways to cope with toxicity, it is worth interrogating how gamers shift between toxic competitiveness and gaming citizenship. Aim Drawing on feminist game studies, gaming citizenship, and ludic ethics approaches, this study examined how gamers embrace and resist toxic behaviors simultaneously in community contexts. Method We conducted in-depth interviews with twenty-two Overwatch players from June 2021 to May 2023 to elaborate the players experiences of toxic behaviors, their coping mechanisms, and the roles of gaming communities. Purposive and snowball samplings were used to recruit participants who regularly played competitive modes in Overwatch. Results From the interviews, two types of toxicity (tolerable, intolerable) were identified. Of the anti-toxic measures, ignoring was addressed as a common but problematic measure, while intervention as most effective measure. Gamers’ involvement in communities was discussed within three common frameworks: prosociality, gamer education, and gamer transformation. Overall, the interviewees showed ambivalence toward usage of anti-toxic measures. With limitations, we found that game communities can serve a venue for gaming citizenship to provide institutional supports for gamers. Conclusion This study contributes to scholarship on gaming toxicity and gaming citizenship. Our study illustrated that gaming communities are battlegrounds between prosociality and toxicity. We do not see vilification of toxicity as a panacea for toxic gaming problems. In that sense, gaming citizenship discourses helps to rekindle debate about stigmatized assumptions about toxicity.

Transgressive play or playful transgressions? Dynamic interpretations of toxic behaviour in multiplayer online games

ABSTRACT Toxic behaviour in the gaming sphere is variably and inconsistently defined even though it is frequently used in gaming-related literature. It also tends to be used interchangeably with tangential terms (e.g., trolling, griefing) that aren’t conceptually equivalent. Thus, although toxic behaviour has been flagged as a prevalent and problematic issue in online gaming, there remain challenges for effectively assessing its impact on gaming experience and player well-being due to definitional uncertainties. The present study is an attempt to reconcile these uncertainties through an exploration of how players define and recognize toxic behaviour in multiplayer online games. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 online gamers, we propose that toxic behaviour in MOGs can be defined by highlighting the socially undesirable nature of an action, its detrimental effects on victims, and the perpetrator’s intentionality in executing an action. Interestingly, there is a paradoxical disconnect between how players conceptually define toxic behaviour, and how they practically recognize it in actual gameplay. The latter can often be impulsive, or otherwise involve a dynamic evaluation influenced by their attitudinal and emotional dispositions, the people that they are playing with, and the gameplay setting. These interpretations sometimes deviate from the understood definition in a decontextualized setting. Findings from this study have strengthened our understanding of how players dynamically navigate social encounters in games, and how they distinguish between toxic and benign gameplay interactions. An emergent typology of toxic behaviour is also proposed along with some recommendations for future research directions.

Sympathy for the Devil: Serial Mediation Models for Toxicity, Community, and Retention

Disruptive behaviors in online gaming communities are a growing concern, affecting player experience, retention, and well-being. While previous research has primarily focused on the victims’ experiences, this study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the attitudinal and behavioral responses to both encountering disruptive behaviors and being flagged for such behaviors, as well as the effects on retention. The study retrieved longitudinal telemetry records of player reporting and gameplay data from the North American server of a popular competitive player vs. player multiplayer online game, coupled with a psychometric survey of a randomly selected sample of 1,217 players. Based on the rejection-disidentification model, this research identifies a shared pathway for both reporting and being reported for disruptive behavior. Our findings support a serial mediation model where both experiences are linked to decreased player engagement. This reduced engagement, reflected in diminished participation in game battles over time, is mediated by perceived discrimination and a reduced sense of community. Moreover, drawing on the concept of procedural justice from the group engagement model, the study delineates unique pathways for the disengagement process for reporters and those reported. Being flagged for disruptive behavior leads to a significant drop in sustained engagement through a decreased sense of community, which is not the case for reporting disruptive behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Development and Validation of the Psychological Motivations for Playing Video Games scale (PMPVGs)

Background The gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, and videogames in various forms have become an integral part of our daily routines. While research has delved into motivations for playing specific types of videogames, such as online multiplayer games, there is still a need for exploration of the broader concept of video game engagement, irrespective of the genre. Aim The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate a gaming motivation scale that focuses on the intrinsic reasons and psychological aspects of video game motivation. Additionally, the goal was to create a scale that does not rely on game genres to assess gamers’ motivational profiles. Research methods The study was conducted in two phases, involving a total of 2641 Italian participants. In the first phase, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed with data from Italian 543 participants ( M = 28.92; sd = 8.26). In the second phase, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with data collected from 2098 participants ( M = 31.60, sd = 8.81), showing an adequate fit to the theorized model (𝑥2 (878) =3843.28; CFI = .95, TLI = .95, RMSEA = .040, and SRMR = .042). Key Findings and Discussion In the first part of the study, EFA confirmed 14 dimensions out of the original 18. While CFA demonstrated that the scale had good reliability, with values ranging from .77 to .94. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between the Psychological Motivations for playing Video Games (PMPVGs) scale and dimensions from the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ) and Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) scales. The final version of the scale comprises 12 dimensions with 45 items in total and it holds potential to explore the players’ psychological needs satisfied through the gaming activity.

DESIGNING A MULTIPLAYER PUZZLE PLATFORMER GAME 2D CHO CHO CAT ON PC PLATFORM

“Cho Cho Cat” is an online multiplayer puzzle platformer game on the PC platform. This game will be developed with Unity 2021.3.15f1 and C programming language. To play this game, a minimum of two players and a maximum of four players are required. Each player requires a computer with a minimum Windows 10 operating system and an internet connection. This game has five themes and each theme has two levels. Each themes have different mechanisms. With the nature of this game, namely online multiplayer, level design is dynamic according to the number of players. The mechanics of this game are moving left or right, jumping, pushing boxes, and pressing buttons. The objective of this game is to find a key to open a door then moves to the next level.

Can likes returned by peers within a day improve users’ depressive/manic levels in a massive multiplayer online game? A randomized controlled trial

Can likes returned by peers within a day improve users’ depressive/manic levels in a massive multiplayer online game? A randomized controlled trial

Diverse usage behaviors in massively multiplayer online games: a mixed-methods investigation

Diverse usage behaviors in massively multiplayer online games: a mixed-methods investigation

Understanding Toxicity in Online Gaming: A Focus on Communication-Based Behaviours towards Female Players in Valorant

Online multiplayer video games have emerged as a significant social platform, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering solace and community for many individuals, particularly young people. However, alongside the benefits, online gaming environments have also become breeding grounds for toxic behaviours, disproportionately affecting minority groups within the gaming community, such as women. This study explores toxic behaviours within the competitive gaming environment of Valorant, focusing on communication-based toxicity experienced by female players. Through participative observation and analysis of game recordings, the study identifies various forms of toxicity, including verbal abuse, gender-based harassment, and sexual innuendos. Findings reveal a reluctance among female players to use voice communication due to fear of harassment, perpetuating gender stereotypes and marginalising women within the gaming community. Moreover, the phenomenon of smurfing exacerbates issues within the community, contributing to heightened frustration and hostility, particularly towards minority players. Addressing toxic behaviours in online gaming requires a comprehensive approach involving game developers, community initiatives, and education efforts to promote inclusivity and respect. By fostering a culture of mutual respect, the gaming community can create a safer and more welcoming environment for all players.

EquiCity game: a mathematical serious game for participatory design of spatial configurations

We propose a mathematical framework for developing social-choice games that are designed to mediate decision-making processes for city planning, urban area redevelopment, and architectural configuration of urban housing complexes. The proposed framework features a digital serious gaming approach for participatory design to support transparency and inclusion in the process of decision-making and ensure an equitable balance of sustainable development goals in spatial design outcomes. The mathematical process consists of a Markovian design machine for balancing the design decisions of actors, a massing configurator equipped with fuzzy logic and multi-criteria decision analysis, algebraic graph-theoretical accessibility evaluators, and automated solar-climatic evaluators using geospatial computational geometry. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework by implementing a multi-player online game that facilitates a participatory decision-making workshop for forming multi-functional building complexes by providing a generative configurator equipped with automated appraisal/scoring mechanisms for revealing the aggregate impact of alternatives. The EquiCity game empowers a group of decision-makers to reach a fair consensual spatial design by mathematically simulating many rounds of reasonable trade-offs between their decisions, with different levels of interest or control over various types of investments. The novelty of the framework is in its capability to encompass decision-making about the most idiosyncratic aspects of a site related to its heritage status and cultural significance to the most generic aspects such as balancing access to sunlight for the site while respecting ‘the right to sunlight’ of the neighbours of the site, ensuring coherence of the entire configuration with regards to a network of desired closeness ratings, the satisfaction of a programme of requirements, and intricately balancing individual development goals in conjunction with communal goals and environmental design codes.

Bidirectional Service Function Chain Embedding for Interactive Applications in Mobile Edge networks

Bidirectional service function chain (BSFC) consists of multiple virtual network functions (VNFs). Through VNF deployment and link mapping, BSFCs can be embedded into resource-constrained mobile edge networks to provide low-latency network function services to users participating in interactive applications such as multi-player online games. Data from these users are routed through BSFCs to the edge node where the application is located for interaction and then returned to the users through the BSFCs, thus enabling synchronization among multiple users. However, the edge nodes or links have limited computing or bandwidth resources to serve only a fraction of users simultaneously. Therefore, the embedding decisions among different users can affect each other. In this paper, we propose a novel BSFC embedding strategy for interactive applications with the goal of minimizing computing and bandwidth resources while satisfying users' latency requirements. We first model the BSFC embedding problem as an integer nonlinear programming problem. Then, by closely examining the complexity of the problem, we propose a distributed algorithm based on game theory. We theoretically analyze the properties of the proposed algorithm and show that it can obtain a solution with a worst-case performance bound. Finally, extensive experiments show that the proposed algorithm outperforms several existing algorithms.

Disordered gaming: the interplay between user-avatar bond and sexual minority status

ABSTRACT Online gamers represent themselves virtually through their in-game avatar, providing opportunities for connection and self-expression. Prior research indicates associations between aspects of the user-avatar bond (UAB) and more intensive gaming involvement. However, experiences may vary based on individual differences like sexual minority status (i.e. LGBTIQ+), warranting further investigation. Thus, the present study examined whether UAB profiles varied for heterosexual versus non-heterosexual gamers, to elucidate potential discrepancies in avatar engagement and gaming experiences related to sexual orientation. The study comprised an Australian community sample of 488 players (48.2% women, 73.3% heterosexual, Mage = 31.6 years) of Massive Multiplayer Online games. An online survey assessed demographic characteristics, user-avatar bond (UAB), and disordered gaming – which was additionally measured after six months (n = 270). Latent profile analysis revealed the presence of four UAB profiles: Compensated, Differentiated, Identified, and Moderate gamers. There was no association between one’s UAB profile and their sexual orientation. No interaction was observed between sexual orientation, UAB profile, and disordered gaming behaviour. However, differentiated gamers (characterised by weaker UAB connection) displayed significantly lower disordered gaming scores cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Findings highlight variations in how heterosexual and non-heterosexual identifying gamers connect with their gaming avatar, cautioning definitive and stereotypical assumptions.

It Takes Two to Negotiate: Modeling Social Exchange in Online Multiplayer Games

Online games are dynamic environments where players interact with each other, which offers a rich setting for understanding how players negotiate their way through the game to an ultimate victory. This work studies online player interactions during the turn-based strategy game, Diplomacy. We annotated a dataset of over 10,000 chat messages for different negotiation strategies and empirically examined their importance in predicting long- and short-term game outcomes. Although negotiation strategies can be predicted reasonably accurately through the linguistic modeling of the chat messages, more is needed for predicting short-term outcomes such as trustworthiness. On the other hand, they are essential in graph-aware reinforcement learning approaches to predict long-term outcomes, such as a player's success, based on their prior negotiation history. We close with a discussion of the implications and impact of our work.