Online Game, a Space?!

Have you ever played any online games? Did you think you would be addicted before playing the game?

Before I started playing Restaurant City (a Facebook online game letting us run a virtual restaurant and to serve as many customers as possible), I thought playing online game was totally a waste of time, and I wondered why both of my nephews could stay in front of the screen for a whole day. Until I played Restaurant City, I knew the answer - now, I know the reasons why online games have such a mysterious power making everyone addicted like drugs and alcohol.

Participatory culture.

It’s a kind of informal mentorship that the experienced pass their knowledge to the less-experienced through non-face-to-face communication. It is just like a chatting channel like MSN for the players when playing the game or the knowledge is passed indirectly through making your creation in the game to serve as an example for other participants. You may ask -  why are there lots of fans playing the same game then?  I dare say, it is because of the magic of participatory culture, as you care about your own contribution and others' perception. In other words, you want to be the veteran in the game, showing other people your brilliant creation and teaching the inexperienced. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal, you'll unconsciously devote all your efforts to playing the game. Sooner or later, you become one of the 'gameholics'.

Online games are also a kind of space, known as 'online affinity spaces'. Why is it a space, not village or city?  This is because people can always come and leave anytime they want; there is no boundary among game participants, as Christoph said. This really inspires me as it tells the attitude of the players, including myself. People will gather in a particular virtual space in which everyone is sharing the same interest.  You just don't want to leave as you see tens of thousands of similar people like you.

To further explain why, I'm going to use my Restaurant City as an example. I played it because all of my friends (not necessarily all, but really a lot) played it and, when I saw they were in a very high level, I wanted to compete with them in order to become the 'mentor'. I don't want to be a novice while most of my friends are the experienced. This's of course the main driving force to keep me playing all the time. What is more, in order to become more experienced in the game, you have to cooperate with other players. I loved to seek help from others by sending my friends text messages via the chat box in the game or imitating others on how to allocate the tables in order to serve the maximum number of customers  After a week, I was able to steal somebody's coins as they forgot to put something behind their doors. (haha~I learnt this because I had been a victim) By the way, I have played it for three months and why I left was because most of my friends left, I was no longer interested in playing it afterwards.

                                                                               From isheat.com

 

                                                            From Rockfu.net

I remembered I've played 'It Girls' also, a Facebook online game that allows 'you' to dress in different clothes and battle with other girls.  But this experience was very different from playing Restaurant City. I just played for a few days because my friends no longer played it. I couldn't seek help from them and I really didn't know how to play. I gave up finally.

                                                                    From www.xzjpzx.com

                                                                                   From vator.tv

What I think is that it's so essential to have the social connection in the virtual life (in the real life as well in fact), not only seeking help from others, you'll also build your passion in a particular space, and gradually you'll be addicted to it until you found it boring or until most of your friends stop playing it.

Participatory culture and online affinity spaces can thoroughly describe and explain why we'll become addicted. It's not only for the purpose of being entertained, but more than that, our social networking.