Read The Proteus Paradox for Free Online

that their in-game friendships—with people they first met in online games—were comparable to or better than those with their real-life friends. It may be tempting to frame these findings through a pathological escapist lens, but another interpretation is that these virtual worlds do a good job of creating engaging, social experiences that are highly memorable and forge relationships. In chapter 7 , we’ll hear from players who have fallen in love in online games. 9
Why People Play
    One of my favorite questions to ask online gamers is why they play these games. Understanding the diverse reasons why online gamers play these games is another way of moving beyond stereotypes. Players’ answers vary tremendously. One player in
EverQuest
writes, “Overall, I enjoy taking on the role of a happy/silly little gnome who eats bugs,” while another player in
Star Wars Galaxies
explains that he is “trying to establish a working corporation within the economicboundaries of the virtual world. Primarily, to learn more about how real world social theories play out in a virtual economy.”
    Richard Bartle’s analysis of player types is a well-known taxonomy of why people enjoy online games. He categorizes players as achievers, socializers, killers (players who enjoy inflicting misery on others), and explorers (whether it’s the geography or the game rules). My research in gameplay motivations built and expanded on Bartle’s types. Statistical analysis of survey data from online gamers has consistently identified three clusters of gameplay motivations; these relate to achievement, social interaction, and immersion. The motivations within each cluster are highly correlated with one another and largely independent from motivations in the other two clusters. The achievement cluster focuses on different ways of gaining power within the context of the game. The social interaction cluster is about different ways of relating to other people in the game. And the immersion cluster is about different ways of becoming a part of the story. 10
    These aren’t separate categories that players fall into but rather the building blocks that allow us to understand individual players. Thus, most players have high scores on one or two clusters while having average or low scores on the remaining clusters. The holistic configuration of these three building blocks traces out the unique profile of each gamer. These motivation clusters also do not imply that achievement activities are always nonsocial (as an example). After all, a player may have high scores on both the achievement and social motivations at the same time (that is, a player interested in guilds and end-game raiding), but the building blocks indicate that this is only one of many possible configurations. Only by specifying the underlying individual building blocks can the full matrix of possibilities be mapped out.
    In terms of the achievement motivations, power can be satisfying in different ways. For some players, the satisfaction comes from a sense of progress in the construct of the game—leveling up and gradually becoming more powerful.
    I feel achievement is my greatest motivation for playing. I can’t wait to level again and get that new ability or skill or awesome weapon, but I never want to hit max level. [
World of Warcraft,
male, 28]
    It gives me the illusion of progress, I know that. I hate the level of frustrated progress in the real world so I play the game and lvl up instead. [
World of Warcraft,
male, 34]
    In contrast, other players do not care about the sense of progress. What they care about is being as powerful as possible. For them, it’s not about the journey but about the destination. Social recognition is also often important for these players.
    I basically play these games to become the most powerful force the game can allow. I want the best of the best items and people to truly respect my play style. I want to become a