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This article examines the form and function of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) in terms of social engagement. Combining conclusions from media effects research informed by the communication effects literature with those from ethnographic research informed by a sociocultural perspective on cognition and learning, we present a shared theore...
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... this argument in place, we then unpack the function of such spaces in terms of social capital in the next section. To begin, we the properties of MMOs to Oldenburg's (1999) eight defining characteristics of third places (see Table 1), and discuss how such virtual spaces satisfy each of the eight criteria in turn. ...
Citations
... During this crucial window of development, young people undergo significant change in terms of their identity formation (Klimstra, 2013), peer relationships (Brown, 2004), emotional regulation (Gupta and Gehlawat, 2020), and moral reasoning (Eisenberg and Morris, 2004). For those adolescents who game, online platforms such as Fortnite (Epic Games, 2017), Minecraft (Studios, 2011), League of Legends (Riot Games, 2013), or Valorant (Riot Games, 2020) function as third places (Steinkuehler and Williams, 2006), providing a context for social interaction and engagement beyond home and school (or work). Third places are characteristically more diverse than first or second places, offering the potential for exposure to new ideas and people that can expand one's social and intellectual circles or, in the case of extremism, its opposite. ...
The proliferation of hate speech and hate-based harassment has become a worryingly common trend in online gaming spaces, with researchers fearing that it could lead to the normalization of hateful behaviors on such platforms. However, little research has been done assessing the frequency of such events and how players respond to their occurrence. In this study, we conduct a large-scale survey (n = 602) asking players to reflect on their experiences and responses to hateful conduct in online games. We examine their perspectives when faced with hate speech and harassment from the role of a bystander, a victim, or the perpetrator. We then compare these responses with various demographic factors and personality traits to determine which variables might predict such conduct to occur and persist over time. Our findings suggest that hate speech and harassment are more accepted by those who are not directly targeted, potentially leaving those players as the remaining few to continue inhabiting and shaping online gaming spaces over time.
... Despite making available environments where users are able to be either socially active or isolated, the potential interaction with others is one of the distinctive characteristics of massive multiplayer online games in general. Due to the importance of social interaction for the complexity and persistence of these virtual worlds, Steinkuehler and Williams (2006) suggest that they should be perceived as "third places" (Oldenburg) for informal sociability (p. 886). ...
Digital games have become a popular cultural pastime and a profitable media industry, with an average player age of 32. During the lockdown years, the many facets of digital games came to light, particularly their capacity to encourage the development of safe spaces for interaction and communities. Games that encourage creativity and content creation, like Second Life, Animal Crossing, and Minecraft, for example, give users a variety of safe spaces to express themselves and grow creatively. The article addresses the function of video games as safe spaces using a mixed-methods approach, emphasizing the role played during the pandemic and using Animal Crossing as an example. Three primary techniques for gathering data were an online survey, netnography, and document analysis. Through the Animal Crossing: New Horizons case study, we were able to confirm that players do, in fact, view the game as more than just a way to pass the time. They make expressive and proactive use of it, deriving immense pleasure from producing and disseminating content that is uniquely personalized for them. It is a tool for escapism and provides a feeling of belonging to players who agree that the New Horizons Fan Community is a united, helpful, caring, and generous community.
... Studies have noted similarities between traditional and online spaces [10,80,85], where computer-mediated communication, like chatrooms [7,57,68], fosters playful conversations with emerging regulars. Platforms like Twitch [45], Second Life [34], Facebook, and online games [31,92] have been proposed as virtual third place. However, these spaces may not fully meet Oldenburg's criteria given conversations are not the central focus, hierarchies exist, and the ambiance of the platform is extravagant rather than home-like. ...
... Discord has successfully positioned itself as a third place, aligning with its design objectives to support playful chat for everyone [24,27]. While virtual third place has traditionally been explored in gaming or three-dimensional space contexts [31,34,92], where synchronous occupation and shared activities define the experience, Discord takes a different architectural approach. Rather than leveraging "relational orientation and reciprocity" or "proximity and action" [46], Discord's spatial design focuses on "partitioning" and "presence and awareness" [46] without avatar-based embodiment. ...
... Discord's Approach to Virtual Third Place. Prior research has largely focused on virtual third places within gaming environments [31,34,92], where users engage via embodied avatars in three-dimensional worlds that simulate physical proximity and shared spatial intuitions [46]. In contrast, Discord adopts a two-dimensional architecture centered on "partitioning" and "presence and awareness" [46]. ...
In light of the diminishing presence of physical third places -- informal gathering spaces essential for social connection -- this study explores how the social media platform Discord fosters third-place experiences. Drawing on Oldenburg's conceptual framework, we analyze how Discord's design elements support the creation of virtual third places that foster both dyadic and community-based relationships. Through 25 semi-structured interviews with active Discord users, we identified 21 design elements aligned with Oldenburg's third-place characteristics. These elements cluster around four core principles: providing themed spaces for repeated interactions, supporting user autonomy and customization, facilitating mutually engaging activities, and enabling casual, low-pressure interactions. This work contributes to understanding how intentional platform design can cultivate virtual spaces that support meaningful social connections. The findings have implications for designing future social technologies that can help address growing concerns about social isolation in an increasingly digital world.
... Also related to persona, we consider the concept of a third space (Oldenburg, & Brissett, 1982). Even in a purely digital setting, these spaces can allow for interaction with greater freedom of expression (Steinkuehler, & Williams, 2006). VR-mediated meta-spaces can imitate a third space thanks to a sense of spatial presence (Ahn et al., 2022). ...
The art of Internet Research is always developing, while also firmly rooted in the theoretical frameworks of the past. As technologies have evolved over time, new ways of interacting have become pervasive, and with them, a need for a different means of analyzing such interactions. Through all of this change, internet researchers have discussed and developed effective methodologies to suit the needs of research. Significant work has been done on digital ethnographies, digital interviews, and surveys using online systems. One area not as widely discussed and developed is the use of online focus groups in synchronous video forums like Zoom or Extended Reality (XR) spaces such as ENGAGE or VRChat. This paper describes our approach to methodological systems for better understanding digital interaction through focus group interviews within such media. Specifically, we present the theoretical underpinnings and design of an upcoming focus group study we are conducting within a virtual world setting. We focus on questions of how to incorporate different types of virtual avatars for the participants and how to collect observable data in the virtual space, including language and avatar behavior. Finally, we describe how such data can be used to understand questions of communication, power, individual agency, and identity that occur in these group settings.
... In contrast, bonding ties entail deeper emotional connections, offering substantial support (Depping, Johanson, and Mandryk 2018;Putnam 2020). The prevailing research suggests that while games foster bridging ties, they are less likely to generate deep bonding ties among players (Huvila et al. 2010;Steinkuehler and Williams 2006;Williams 2006). ...
This article explores the intricate dynamics of video gaming among the youth of Dhaka, Bangladesh, exploring its profound influence on socialization and community building within the framework of theories such as the Theory of Attainment, Imagined Community, User and Gratification Theory, and Bourdieu's concept of “social capital.” Through a comprehensive blend of digital and autoethnographic methods, the research unveils how gaming transcends its solitary image to emerge as a potent cultural force in Bangladeshi society. The findings underscore the pivotal role of gaming in forging social bonds and nurturing communities, both in virtual realms and physical spaces. Gamers actively engage in collaboration, strategic planning, and the exchange of experiences, mirroring the dynamics of real-world social networks. Despite concerns regarding addiction, the article illuminates the impact of video games on social cohesion among the youth demographic. Furthermore, it inquires into gaming culture's remarkable resilience in the face of societal norms and regulatory challenges, shedding light on the adaptive strategies employed by gamers to navigate and thrive in diverse contexts. By exploring the intricate interplay between virtual and real-life experiences, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how video games shape socialization among urban youth in the ever-evolving landscape of Bangladesh.
... W wizji Oldenburga istotna była możliwość budowania w trzecich miejscach wspólnotowych relacji z innymi opartych na towarzyskości i przynależności. Koncepcja ta była rozwijana przez badaczy zauważających, że w wirtualnej rzeczywistości również pojawia się szansa na to, by określone przestrzenie mogły tam pełnić funkcję trzeciego miejsca (na przykład Steinkuehler, Williams, 2006). W przypadku komunikacji PlayStation trzecie miejsce opisywane jest jednak zdecydowanie inaczej. ...
Artykuł omawia konkretne sposoby konstruowania rzeczywistości w reklamowej komunikacji marki Sony PlayStation, a także atrybuty modelowego użytkownika tej rzeczywistości. Punkt wyjścia stanowi charakterystyka wizji świata PlayStation jako innej i lepszej niż rzeczywistość codzienna oraz motywacji eskapistycznej, która potencjalnie pozwala chcieć tego świata doświadczać. Następnie zaprezentowane i zniuansowane zostały dwie różne wizje użytkownika PlayStation, które marka forsuje w swojej komunikacji: jednostki sprawczej oraz jednostki zdominowanej. Finalny rozdział artykułu wiąże wykorzystane w analizowanych reklamach motywy z problemami codziennej rzeczywistości, na które marka może próbować stanowić odpowiedź, a także z pokrewnymi interpretacyjnie koncepcjami z zakresu nauk społecznych i psychologii.
... For many people, a considerable amount of time each day is spent on different digital media platforms. Increasingly these platforms, whether online games, message boards, or social media sites, have come to be explored as spaces (e.g., Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006). Digital media spaces occupy a curious position: they are distinct from our physical inter actions, yet closely linked to them; they have a "less real" quality to them yet can be an extremely mundane part of life (Apperley, 2010;Pargman & Jakobsson, 2008). ...
... Although gaming is a mundane activity, in most games the fantastical characters, locations, and interactions are clearly separate from the players and their everyday surroundings. Online games have been described as separate "third places" (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006), denoting their social role as distinct from other every day contexts. ...
... This echoes Jansz's (2015) ideas of games as "private laboratories" for identity exploration-although obviously in the context of online gaming, the laboratory is not exactly private. Scholars have noted (e.g., Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006;Stenros, 2014) that games can provide a social space distinct from other everyday environments, and this notion was present in the responses to our questionnaire as well: ...
In this study, we examine young people’s self-reported negative (“toxic”) online gaming conduct via a qualitative survey (N = 95) of active game players aged 15–25 in Finland. Drawing from young people’s lived experiences, we present negative gaming conduct as a complex whole, stemming from a combination of online disinhibition, affective intensity, game cultural conduct norms, and individual preferences. We explore online gaming environments as spaces with different technological and communicative affordances. In this study, we demonstrate how not all negative gaming conduct is equal in intent or outcome and introduce the concept of banal toxicity: outwardly hostile but routine conduct that lacks emotional intensity and serves little strategic purpose yet is conducive to an overall social landscape of negativity.
... In certain parts of the world like Asia, players frequently game together in face-to-face internet cafes (Chee, 2006;Nardi, 2010). These online and offline gaming groups and places can be experienced as socially meaningful "third places" between the first space of home and the second of work, like the pubs and coffeehouses that preceded them (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006). And those gaming groups and places can be important sources of belonging, meaning, and "gamer" identity that can positively impact well-being, including that of minority-status gamers (Gray, 2018;Kaye, 2019;Mandryk et al., 2020;Ruberg & Phillips, 2018;Snodgrass et al., 2021). ...
We use ethnographic observations, interviews, and surveys to illuminate video game‐related gambling in India, where players use as currency decorative in‐game weapon covers referred to as skins . We focus on gaming and gambling related to virtual items acquired in the popular shooter game Counter‐Strike: Global Offensive , and our study unfolds among young adults who play in face‐to‐face centers called gaming lounges or zones . We consider how networks of video game players, themselves influenced by familial and societal demands, form moral economies that regulate why video game items are exchanged and how they are evaluated. Further, we use moral foundations theory to clarify ethical plurality in these settings, with tensions between moral demands shaping how and whether skins exchanges are judged to be socially productive or harmful. We show how gaming lounge owners’ personal values, some religiously informed, render emerging adults who play in these settings less at risk of excessive gambling, which is not tolerated either within close‐knit gaming groups or broader society. Overall, our analysis points to the utility of bringing into dialogue moral economy and moral foundations perspectives to uncover the cultural meanings of linked gaming and gambling in this context.
... In the early 2000s, a significant branch of research focused on video games and game spaces as platforms for civic and social engagement (e.g. Rheingold, 2000;Steinkuehler and Williams, 2006;Taylor, 2006). As senior games scholar Taylor (2019) has lamented on Twitter, however, this branch of game studies has been largely neglected as researchers have moved on to new and ongoing topics, such as the relationship of violent media to aggression, the rise of casual games and esports games as industrial forces, and even game audiences' relationships to the alt-right and white supremacy. ...
Although we have long known that many different types of individuals play video games, the stereotypical “gamer” is often portrayed as a young male. Furthermore, research into questions such as violence and aggression, addiction or problematic play, and toxic gaming communities tends to frame gamers and gaming as anti-social. From a philanthropic perspective, then, gamers appear to be unlikely candidates for charitable giving. Following attendance at a fundraising game tournament for Gamers Outreach, a non-profit charity that provides video game systems to children’s hospitals, this research team conducted a survey of attendees. Our findings suggest that gamers are willing to support and monetarily contribute to a cause they believe in, but also that engaging potential donors through their preexisting interests and communities—in this case, games—can be a productive form of outreach. Finally, participants recognized and sought to combat gaming’s anti-social stereotypes, revealing a further motivation behind their charitable behavior.
... Virtual immersion allows learners to practice the language in varied and dynamic contexts, improving retention and comprehension. Steinkuehler and Williams (2006) argue that "virtual environments can facilitate language learning by providing authentic social and cultural interactions, which are often difficult to achieve in a traditional classroom" (p. 88). ...
This article explores the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in language learning, comparing its benefits to those of traditional teaching methods. It highlights the capabilities of ICTs to provide increased accessibility, personalization and diversity of multimedia resources, which can improve learners' engagement and autonomy. At the same time, it recognizes the irreplaceable value of the deep in-person interactions and cultural immersion provided by traditional methods. An attempt has been made to propose a hybrid model that combines the strengths of both approaches, using the structure of traditional methods and ICT innovation to create a rich and effective learning environment. Also discussing the challenges related to the integration of ICTs, such as the need for training for educators and unequal access to technologies. In conclusion, it recommends further research to optimise the integration of ICT in language education and suggests that the adoption of a well-designed hybrid approach could transform language learning, preparing learners to succeed in a globalised world.
