Sociology In Gaming

LockSixTime has been doing an amazing Countdown to SOE Live talking about the various features of EverQuest: Next that we do know about. While I disagree with him at points they are really wonderful. On the latest one he briefly talks about the importance of Sociology In Gaming. Go ahead and listen to it (the video footage is unrelated), then come back.



Some of you might know that I am a student of sociology and I have previously done research on the Sociology Of Gaming, but this is quite a novel consideration. Not only looking at the social aspects of gamers getting together, but modeling the NPCs to behave in truly social ways to draw players into a more immersive experience and, potentially, teaching them something about real people around them as they think about how their choices in game effect what NPCs will do in response.

While not limited to gamers by any stretch, there is quite a stereotype of immature gamers who never learn social skills. The main skill that these people (players or not) fail to learn is Empathy, or as we call it, Sociological Imagination. Most people learn this skill to some degree as they grow up and hear about the lives of people they care about, they start to realize that not everyone thinks like they do and other peoples lives are different than theirs giving them a different perspective. Classic literature also helps people learn this, and it looks like the Emergent AI developed by Storybrick will allow major games to have the technology to not only tell wonderful stories, but also engage players in Social Imagination.

There are a few games that build Sociological Imaginatin well, but most of them are Indi titles that don't reach a very large audience and tend to be fizzles in a pan, barely appearing on the market before being forgotten about. EverQuest: Next on the other hand is an AAA quality game by a major production studio with a track record of continuing successful MMORPGs, some of which have revolutionized the industry like this one aims to, and the only major MMOFPS (though, FireFall will be giving them some competition in that market very shortly).