Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/online-gaming-linked-with-marital-dissatisfaction/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

seriously, though
Good news, gamers! You can now blame another dysfunction (if you have it, and I'm sure you don't) on the games you play! It's not enough that those nasty ol' video games are making you violent and antisocial -- a new survey put out by Brigham Young University is linking online gaming with a decrease in marital satisfaction.

The survey states that "gaming widows," whose spouses neglect them to focus on gaming, are dissatisfied with the states of their marriage. How that differs from corporate widows, football widows, or any other neglected spouse without a catchy title isn't really specified. Another conclusion pointed out by the survey is that when spouses play together, the marriage tends to be in pretty good shape. Who'd have ever thought that spending time bonding over a shared interest would be healthy for a relationship?

While we're all in agreement that your level 80 Paladin probably doesn't deserve as much of your love and affection as your spouse, if you hadn't figured that out on your own, gaming probably isn't the root of your problems. Just a thought.

MassivelyOnline gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brigham-young-universitygamer-widowgaminghow-gaming-is-making-you-a-bad-personmarriagestatisticsstudysurveywhat-is-this-i-cant-evenWed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Study links MMOs to 'problem' game-playing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Addicted gamer
Despite the fact that video game addiction lacks both a definition and a diagnosis, "researchers around the world continue to investigate methods of determining, treating, and preventing" it, according to Gamespot.

The American Psychiatric Association recently rejected a movement to incorporate game addiction into its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but that hasn't stopped folks at the National Development and Research Institute from publishing the findings from a survey conducted with 3,380 adult gamers.

The study found that five percent of participants reported "moderate to extreme problem game-playing." Commonly reported problem titles included Call of Duty, the Grand Theft Auto series, online poker games, and World of Warcraft. The team concluded that "there is evidence to suggest that problem game-playing is linked to particular kinds of game genres" and that further research is needed.

MassivelyStudy links MMOs to 'problem' game-playing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionamerican-psychiatric-associationgame-addictionmmo-industrynational-development-and-research-instituteresearchresearchers-conclude-that-more-research-is-neededstudysurveyvideo-game-addictionWorld-of-WarcraftwowFri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pando Networks studies growth of F2P MMOs, makes infographic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/pando-networks-studies-growth-of-f2p-mmos-makes-infographic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/pando-networks-studies-growth-of-f2p-mmos-makes-infographic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/15/pando-networks-studies-growth-of-f2p-mmos-makes-infographic/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Pando chart
Pando Networks, creator of the ubiquitous Pando Media Booster, has done a study on the growth of the F2P MMO industry. The data, which can be viewed in a handy infographic after the cut, shows that the number of people downloading free-to-play online games grew by 450% between 2009 and 2011. According to the study, the increase in players has come from a number of large titles -- such as Lord of the Rings Online -- making the switch to a F2P model. Also mentioned is the ever-popular MOBA, League of Legends.

The study also notes that this huge growth isn't just happening in the United States or Europe; it's a worldwide phenomenon. In Latin America, the number of people downloading F2P titles rose by 595%, while the number of people downloading free-to-play titles in Japan and Australia rose by 392% and 234%, respectively. For the full infographic, just click on past the cut and have a look.

[Source: Pando Networks press release]

Continue reading Pando Networks studies growth of F2P MMOs, makes infographic

MassivelyPando Networks studies growth of F2P MMOs, makes infographic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pf2p-growthfree-to-playgaming-industrygrowthindustryinfographicleague-of-legendslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotropandopando-networksstudiesstudyThu, 15 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Informal RMT study looks at microtransaction effects across multiple titles]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/informal-rmt-study-looks-at-microtransaction-effects-across-mult/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/informal-rmt-study-looks-at-microtransaction-effects-across-mult/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/informal-rmt-study-looks-at-microtransaction-effects-across-mult/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Team Fortress 2 microtransactions
Wondering whether microtransactions in Western games are as harmless as publishers would have you believe? BitGamer was as well, and as such the website has conducted an informal study of RMT and its effects across seven different titles.

Among the surveyed games are MMORPGs that include World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Realm of the Mad God and EVE Online. The study includes data collected on over 800 RMT items, and while the conclusions are somewhat lacking in terms of objective analysis ("nobody likes Battlefield," etc.), there is nonetheless a fair bit of interesting info on display.

Ultimately the piece reaches the familiar conclusion that RMT is here to stay and that it's OK as long as the implementation avoids the dreaded pay-to-win stigma. That said, "even just cosmetic items will breed a bitter culture of haves and have-nots if you can't reasonably get them for free in a game for which you're already paying," the article states.

Be sure to check out Massively's own RMT studies for more insight into the value offered by your favorite microtransaction games.

MassivelyInformal RMT study looks at microtransaction effects across multiple titles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelseconomyeveeve-onlinelord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroMicrotransactionsMiscellaneousmmo-industryrealm-of-the-mad-godrmtrmt-studystudyworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Older gamers more likely to drop money in cash shops to save time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/10/older-gamers-more-likely-to-drop-money-in-cash-shops-to-save-tim/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/10/older-gamers-more-likely-to-drop-money-in-cash-shops-to-save-tim/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/10/older-gamers-more-likely-to-drop-money-in-cash-shops-to-save-tim/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Your rabbit ears aren't getting any younger, and that's a lot of loot for ten bucks.
How long are you willing to wait for your next level in a given game? According to a recent study, the older you are, the less likely you'll wait and the more likely you'll be to just whip out a credit card and buy an experience booster. Flurry Analytics conducted a survey of mobile and social gamers and found that older players are far more likely to just spend some money if it'll save some painful grinding in the long run.

While the study was focused on the social gaming side of the coin, the business model is not dissimilar from that employed by many free-to-play MMOs that frequently offer in-game options to earn items that can also be purchased outright. And the logical conclusion is drawn -- younger players have less disposable income but more time to buckle down and grind, while older players have more responsibilities and more free money to spend. It's an interesting look at the spending patterns, one which looks to be increasingly relevant as free-to-play options continue to multiply.

MassivelyOlder gamers more likely to drop money in cash shops to save time originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessbusiness-modelsculturef2pfree-to-playfreemiumpay-habitspay-to-playplay-habitssciencesocial-gamingstudiesstudySat, 10 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How fat are your tubes? Pando Networks studies average US net speeds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/how-fat-are-your-tubes-pando-networks-studies-average-us-net-sp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/how-fat-are-your-tubes-pando-networks-studies-average-us-net-sp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/how-fat-are-your-tubes-pando-networks-studies-average-us-net-sp/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pando Networks, a content delivery provider for a variety of free-to-play MMOs such as Lord of the Rings Online and MapleStory, has released a study on the average download speeds across the United States. To do this, the company tracked the download speeds of 4 million gamers' games and patches from January to June 2011.

So what were the findings? Well, the fastest state in the US was Rhode Island, with an average of 894 KBps. The slowest state, with a download speed nearly a third of Rhode Island's, was Idaho, which came in with a rather paltry average of 318KBps. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also found that download speed averages tended to be highest in "fairly affluent, metropolitan suburbs," such as the prosperous Andover suburb of Boston. On the other end of the spectrum there are cities such as Yuma, AZ, Mission, TX, and Pocatello, ID, where speeds don't break 290 KBps.

The study also got a look at the average speeds of major ISPs, with Comcast at the top spot with an average speed of 890KBps, and with Verizon (788KBps) and Cox (757KBps) coming in close behind. Roadrunner is the caboose of the group with a download speed average of 673KBps. Curious about how fat the interweb tubes are in your city or state? Jump past the cut for some spiffy interactive maps courtesy of Pando.

Continue reading How fat are your tubes? Pando Networks studies average US net speeds

MassivelyHow fat are your tubes? Pando Networks studies average US net speeds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-series-of-tubesdownload-speedfat-tubesinternet-speedmiscellaneouspandopando-networksresearchstudiesstudyWed, 27 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Scholar]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/10/storyboard-archetype-discussion-the-scholar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/10/storyboard-archetype-discussion-the-scholar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/10/storyboard-archetype-discussion-the-scholar/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's time for our third archetype discussion, with the previous two being the Soldier and the Rogue. I've been pleased with the positive response I've seen so far, especially since the archetypes seem to help highlight the difference between a class and the character. There are classes that suggest a more roguelike approach (not a Roguelike approach; that's different), but people play them as soldiers, undertaking missions and killing based on exterior orders rather than any sort of malice or desire.

And that's great -- the power of archetypes is that you can have almost any class or combination of abilities backing them up. Such is the case with today's archetype, one that is often seen as being limited to spellcasters but which can really cover almost any set of skills. James Joyce wrote that when you think about things, you can understand them, and that's the bread and butter of the scholar. Queue up some appropriate music, and let's take a look at someone who just wants to know more.

Continue reading Storyboard: Archetype discussion - the Scholar

MassivelyStoryboard: Archetype discussion - the Scholar originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academiaarchetypescolumnexperiencefeaturedknowledgelearningmetagamingroleplayingrpscholarsstoryboardstudystudyingthe-scholarFri, 10 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest EverQuest II data study covers roleplayers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/latest-everquest-ii-data-study-covers-roleplayers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/latest-everquest-ii-data-study-covers-roleplayers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/latest-everquest-ii-data-study-covers-roleplayers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A year ago, we mentioned that Sony Online Entertainment had opened up their EverQuest II database to researchers, allowing scientists from noted universities the ability to study the demographics of their server in an anonymous fashion. Slowly but surely, more studies are coming out that are using this information, and one of the newer studies takes an in-depth look at roleplayers.

While the study is over 40 pages long and packed with information, Raph Koster has broken down the big findings on his website -- namely the fact that hardcore RPers only make up 5% of the player population and don't care about playing on an RP server. RPers also commonly belong to minority groups of some sort, play less hours per week than the average player, and have a higher rate of turning in-game social connections into real-world connections.

It's all interesting stuff, and Raph has it broken down on his site, or you can check out the full study in Word's .doc format.

MassivelyLatest EverQuest II data study covers roleplayers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>databasedimitri-williamseq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iiroleplayersroleplayingscientific-studysocial-surveysoesony-online-entertainmentstudyuniversityTue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New study reveals insights into gender in MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/new-study-reveals-insights-into-gender-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/new-study-reveals-insights-into-gender-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/new-study-reveals-insights-into-gender-in-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A new study has appeared over at the Virtual Worlds Observatory, the home of a team of social scientists interested in researching online games, and it delves into perceptions of gender in online games and the reality behind it.

Utilizing EverQuest II, the study uses a sample size of over 7,000 players to measure player interactions along gender lines and learn more about the gamers behind the keyboards. Surprisingly enough, while males exhibited predicted aggressiveness and achievement-oriented gameplay, it was the female gamers that exhibited more "hardcore" behavior. The top 10% of male gamers only played an average of 48 hours a week, while the top 10% of female gamers played an average of 56 hours a week. Yet, during the study, females under-reported their playing habits more than male gamers, as if unconsciously reacting to a stereotype.

The study is full of interesting details, and the full report is available for your viewing pleasure online.

[Via The Border House]

MassivelyNew study reveals insights into gender in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicculturedimitri-williamseverquest-2everquest-iigamersgendermennick-yeesoesony-online-entertainmentstudyvirtual-worlds-observatorywomenSat, 12 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Study finds explicit material for minors in virtual worlds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/study-finds-explicit-material-for-minors-in-virtual-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/study-finds-explicit-material-for-minors-in-virtual-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/study-finds-explicit-material-for-minors-in-virtual-worlds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Along with violence and game addiction, inappropriate content is one of the bugbears that video games in general and MMOs in specific can't get away from. A recent FTC study took a look at the general safety available in twenty-seven different virtual worlds, including Second Life and Runescape, and their findings were... well, if you're at all familiar with Second Life, you can kind of guess at the results. Nineteen of the worlds surveyed featured some sort of inappropriate content. The worlds targeted explicitly at minors didn't fare a great deal better, with a full half of the fourteen kid-oriented worlds having some explicit content.

The report goes on to suggest certain approaches to better handle gating content for younger children, including further prevention of children from fraudulently registering in worlds that are supposed to be exclusive to adults. However, some elements of the study's methodology are a bit questionable, especially as their list of explicit material included words common to anyone with a history of playing video games. (Or cable television.) The full report is worth looking at if you're a parent or if you're interested in the findings, and we'd be remiss not to mention our own ongoing series about playing MMOs in a family setting.

MassivelyStudy finds explicit material for minors in virtual worlds originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>explicit-contentfamiliesftckidsrunescapesecond-lifeslstudyvirtual-worldsFri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One-fifth of US game spending goes to MMOs and game portals]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/one-fifth-of-us-game-spending-goes-to-mmos-and-game-portals/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/one-fifth-of-us-game-spending-goes-to-mmos-and-game-portals/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/one-fifth-of-us-game-spending-goes-to-mmos-and-game-portals/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It's no secret that MMOs have started to see a larger and larger share of the market, but the actual amount is always a difficult number to pin down. Gamasutra recently reported on a study by TNS and Gamesindustry.com, a pair of market research firms, which found that about 20% of all US game spending goes to either MMOs or online game portals. That's a fifth of all spending in the country, and with the amount of overall spending in the US that's a rather significant figure.

Of course, MMOs are still small fry compared to, say, the console budget, which dominates at nearly three-fifths of the overall spending. However, it's worth considering that MMO spending is frequently going to be a $15 monthly subscription rather than a $50 one-time purchase -- a significant disparity in terms of overall budget. It's also interesting to note that MMOs, once a small subset of the overall PC gaming market, are gaining ground as a market demographic unto themselves. The full report can be found here, with further information on the methodology of the study and the preferred payment methods of the respondents.

MassivelyOne-fifth of US game spending goes to MMOs and game portals originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsgame-portalsgamesindustry.comgaming-budgetmmo-budgetmmo-industrynews-itemsreal-world-eventsspendingstudiesstudytnsWed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Indiana University studies economic interplay via Everquest II]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/indiana-university-studies-economic-interplay-via-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/indiana-university-studies-economic-interplay-via-everquest-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/03/indiana-university-studies-economic-interplay-via-everquest-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's no secret that MMOs have been embraced by researchers for a variety of purposes, with everything from social dynamics to the spread of diseases being modeled within the contained environment of a video game. A group of researchers over at Indiana University were attracted for just that reason, and began studying the ways that virtual economies mirror real-world economies on Everquest II. The full story can be found here, with some discussion regarding the relationship between the playerbase and the way it affects the real-world economic concerns of these games.

Certainly it's an interesting field of study, but it brings to mind one of the major ways in which an MMO economy doesn't have the ability to mirror a real-world economy: the fact that the stream of money going in to players is essentially unlimited, since there will always be roaming enemies to kill and ways to make money. It's also surprising that the study would be focused on EQII instead of the darling child of MMO economies, EVE, of which there could be and have been entire publications written solely about its economy. However, the interplay between the real economy and the virtual one isn't likely to go away, especially with the rise of free-to-play games in prominence.

[ via GamePolitics ]

MassivelyIndiana University studies economic interplay via Everquest II originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyeveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iieverquest2studySat, 03 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Loyola University professor drives City of Heroes/Villains players crazy, all for sociology]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/07/loyola-university-professor-drives-city-of-heroes-villains-playe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/07/loyola-university-professor-drives-city-of-heroes-villains-playe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/07/loyola-university-professor-drives-city-of-heroes-villains-playe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Twixt was one of those names on the Freedom server of City of Heroes that would just drive everyone nuts. He was a PvPer who would find some of the craziest ways to annoy the heck out of his opponents, such as teleporting them right in front of the Longbow agents at the hero base in PvP zones. A year ago, however, the man behind the keyboard finally drew back his mask to reveal a sociology professor from Loyola University outside New Orleans.

Now his study on City of Heroes/Villains is finally coming forward, revealing a controversial look at how defying the cultural rules of a population can turn a person into a social outcast. The study's goal was to play only by the developer's rules, ignoring any extra rules that might be created by the population. For example, the concept of "kill stealing" and "fair fights" are thrown out the window as they are created by the population, not the game. Think of it like EVE Online -- if the game allows it, he does it.

While the study is intriguing in the fact that it covers the "new frontiers" of virtual worlds, it also brings into question some of the ethics involved with working undercover in a population, such as causing undue stress via what we consider to be griefing.

For a full report, check out the story as reported by The Times-Picayune.

[Thanks Petterm, Scopique!]

MassivelyLoyola University professor drives City of Heroes/Villains players crazy, all for sociology originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicbreakingcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovculturegriefinglongbowloyola-universitynew-orleansrecluses-victorysocialstudytwixtTue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nick Yee puts the Daedalus Project into hibernation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/nick-yee-puts-the-daedalus-project-into-hibernation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/nick-yee-puts-the-daedalus-project-into-hibernation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/09/nick-yee-puts-the-daedalus-project-into-hibernation/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Daedalus Project, for those who aren't familiar with this fantastic project by Nick Yee, is an in-depth look at the psychology of MMO gamers. As someone who plays MMOs, Nick has always taken a very fair and balanced look at the intricate worlds spanning the MMO genre, with results that were sometimes surprising. During the course of ten years of research, he's looked into everything from basic gender alignment questions to in-depth looks at genre, how emerging changes in game mechanics affect social interaction, and so very much more. To say it's been important, enlightening work is an understatement.

In a recent blog posting, Nick has announced that he's going to be placing the Daedalus Project into 'hibernation' due to time constraints, the rigors of his everyday work, and his need to publish as a PhD. As anyone can imagine, running an enormous project like Daedalus has to take a great deal of time and effort. It would appear that rather than letting the quality of the work for this project of love suffer, he's opted to place it on hold for now. While it's definitely a loss for the MMO - and indeed educational - community, we can totally understand. All of us here at Massively would like to thank Nick for his unwavering dedication to bringing so many important things to light over the last ten years, and hope that all of his future challenges are equally as rewarding.

MassivelyNick Yee puts the Daedalus Project into hibernation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daedalus-projecteducationhibernationmmo-studynick-yeephdpsychologystudyMon, 09 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The race to 80 in Wrath of the Lich King analyzed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The dust has had time to settle over Azeroth since the launch of World of Warcraft's latest expansion Wrath of the Lich King, and most semi-active players who stick to a main character will probably have hit the new level cap of 80. That's the lazy way to summarize the expansion-leveling situation, but for a bit (well, a heck of a lot) more depth, it's worth checking out gamerDNA's study of how their users went once WotLK's starter pistol fired. To fit the nature of the study, the sample of 3000 users was limited to people who had a level 70 character at the expansion's launch, had picked up the expansion within 10 days of launch, and did not take on the new Death Knight class as their main.

The picture above shows one of the resulting pie charts from gamerDNA's study. From the sample, the biggest group (44%) took between 16 and 30 days to reach level 80, but quite a large percentage (18%) managed to finish up their leveling in just 5 to 15 days. Only a very small group from the sample (2%) took longer than 60 days. Interestingly, further pie charts show that there wasn't one particular class that was favored in the race to 80 -- in fact, in the quickest group, where you'd expect class to matter more, the class make-up was probably at its most even across the board.

If these sorts of facts and figures get your pulse racing, perhaps you could help us do a quick poll of our own: in which group would you fit on the above chart?

MassivelyThe race to 80 in Wrath of the Lich King analyzed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classesgamerdnalevelingstudysurveyworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingMon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[UC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/uc-irvine-to-compare-american-chinese-wow-players/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The University of California at Irvine has been granted $100,000 to study the differences between Chinese and American World of Warcraft players, according to the Orange County Register. The study will mostly focus on explaining why American players are much more likely to employ modifications such as Cosmos than Chinese players are, but project lead Bonnie Nardi made some interesting observations outside the scope of this particular endeavor.

For example, she noted that Chinese players are for some reason more likely to talk about the aesthetic appearance of the game than are Americans. Whereas American players often play with their children, parents, or siblings, Chinese players are unlikely to do that. "The older generation dislikes video games," she said, and playing with siblings is obviously rare since most Chinese of the gaming generation have none.

"The vast majority of Chinese players are not gold farmers," she said. "They're ordinary players like anyone. The media has blown that story out of all proportion. Many people think Chinese play for a job. They play for fun." Enlightening stuff. We're looking forward to seeing what else comes out of her research.

[Via Ten Ton Hammer]
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyUC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicasiablizzardbonnie-nardicosmosculturefamilymodificationsmodsone-child-policyorange-countyparentsresearchsiblingsstudyuc-irvineuciucirvineuiuniversity-of-californiaworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Research profiles the typical fantasy MMO player]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/research-profiles-the-typical-fantasy-mmo-player/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/research-profiles-the-typical-fantasy-mmo-player/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/07/research-profiles-the-typical-fantasy-mmo-player/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Researcher Dmitri Williams and his team have been doing some very hardcore MMO-related research. Thanks to Raph Koster, they were given free reign with the whole of SOE's EverQuest II-related user statistics. They've produced the first of many papers, this one called "Who plays, how much, and why? Debunking the stereotypical gamer profile," which is completely and freely available online.

There are a bunch of interesting things about EverQuest II player demographics in there, some of which is surprising. For example, older players play more than younger players, and EQ2 players in general are physically healthier than the general population. There's a shocker! Of course, EQ2 arguably has a different sort of playerbase than something like EVE Online, or even other dikus like World of Warcraft. It's too bad we can't see the differences.

More studies are coming, though (but all of them from EQ2 data). Williams and his international team of researchers are planning to uncover information about gender differences and more in future papers.

[Via Raph Koster]

MassivelyResearch profiles the typical fantasy MMO player originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Bartle -- the man who co-invented MUDs at the University of Essex in 1978 -- described the poor state of game-related academic study and education when speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival a few days ago.

Bartle made a distinction between games-focused training (the acquisition of skills by instruction) and games-focused education (the development of understanding through learning). He said that the United Kingdom's colleges are short on education, even though training is available at some universities.

He noted that symptoms of this problem are already apparent: the academic community, such as it is, has been unable to agree (or even engage in cohesive discourse) about the reasons men and women often play as characters of a different sex than their own in MMOs.

MassivelyRichard Bartle laments poor state of game education in the UK originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A survey performed by researchers Parks Associates titled "Electronic Gaming in the Digital Home II" concluded that there is very little room for market expansion for subscription-based MMOs. On the whole, users surveyed preferred the free-to-play model. The poll data suggested that mostly only the hardcore users already playing MMOs were willing to play subscription-based games, and that only 2% of gamers not currently playing MMOs would consider a non-free-to-play game.

Hardcore MMORPG players tend to frown on or look down on microtransaction-based games, but aside from World of Warcraft, most of the industry's growth has occurred via free-to-play. In fact, the director behind the research project (named Yuanzhe Cai) was quoted saying: "World of Warcraft, with over 10 million players, exceeded expectations for subscription-based MMORPGs, but it's unlikely any other publishers will achieve the same in the near term using a subscription model."

Perhaps we'd better get used to microtransactions, eh?

MassivelyResearch: Subscription model unappealing to vast majority of users originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelsfreefree-to-playmicrotransactionsparks-associatespollresearchrmtstudysubscriptionssurveyworld-of-warcraftyuanzhe-caiWed, 23 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamers are not social misfits after all!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/gamers-are-not-social-misfits-afterall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/gamers-are-not-social-misfits-afterall/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/gamers-are-not-social-misfits-afterall/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been what, three hours since we've heard the last research study on gaming addiction? It almost seems like we could feed every starving child in the world with this research money given to these studies, but with the ever-growing popularity of online gaming, the concern is certainly no surprise.

In a shocking change of pace though, a recent study conducted by Australia's Victoria University psychology Honours graduate Dan Loton shows that gamers are in fact not social rejects. Out of 621 gamers -- mostly male, mostly Australian -- only 93 could be described as "problem gamers". This is defined as people who spend more than 50 hours a week playing online games. Curiously enough, Loton added, "We found that those who played Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, such as World of Warcraft, were more likely to exhibit problematic game play." Aww, and we were so close, too.

MassivelyGamers are not social misfits after all! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionaustraliagaming-addictionresearchsocialsocial-rejectstudyvictoria-universitySat, 14 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Study says 90% of virtual worlds don't last 18 months]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/study-says-90-of-virtual-worlds-dont-last-18-months/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A study released by Gartner, a large research firm based in Connecticut, claims that 90% of all "business forays into virtual worlds" fail within 18 months.

According to the study, most businesses focus too much on expensive and unnecessary technology such as powerful physics engines, and don't pay enough attention to the demands and interests of users actual or potential. This is not surprising to us; savvy MMO developers will talk your ear off about how multi-million dollar graphics are at best a red herring and at worst a harbinger of doom.

On the other hand, the study also said that by 2012, 70% of all organizations will be using virtual worlds, and that those endeavors will more successful because businesses will have learned exactly what to expect and will plan development accordingly.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

MassivelyStudy says 90% of virtual worlds don't last 18 months originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 May 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feeling bad for neglecting the kids? Want to do something for society? Well ladies and gentlemen, NASA wants you! Not for the vigorous life of an astronaut, but to stay in bed. They will even pay you (US)$17,000 to do it. What about World of Warcraft or the other MMOs we play? How are we to survive for up to 90 days away from the internet? Too easy says NASA! They will provide the internet and anyone is welcome to bring their own system. Since we spend hours in bed or sitting at the computer hacking away at gnomes, why not get paid for it?

The NASA experiment has nothing to do with video games. It is actually an experiment to test the bodies reaction to low gravity. The fine folks at NASA want us to help them understand just what happens to a person who spends a long time in space. We already help promote economic studies through the games we play so why not take it one step further? As long as our fingers and thumbs do not wither away, it could make for a fine opportunity to play, get paid, and benefit the entire human race.

MassivelyAn experiment for NASA offers cash while you play originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Middlesex University has released their finding on a study conducted to explore the effects of game violence on players. At the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Dublin, the study claims that playing WoW actually helps players relax, rather than fuels anger or violent tendencies.

"There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game as opposed to experiencing anger but this did very much depend on personality type," said researcher Jane Barnett, though the referring article does not elucidate what those types might be. However, with a sample size of 292 World of Warcraft players between the ages of 12 and 83, out of the millions of subscribers the game can boast, this would hardly seem to be a properly-evaluated submission. But it's little steps like these that help abolish long-held assumptions and biases, so we're all for it. Science, FTW!

MassivelyStudy finds game violence soothes the savage breast originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to gaming, the popular perception is that it's a man's domain. (Of course, you'd be hard pressed to make that point around Massively HQ, as many of our most prolific writers and senior bloggers are of the fairer sex.) Traditionally, this has been pinned on sociological factors that discourage women from developing as close a relation with computers as men. While there is still probably a kernel of truth to that, a new study out of the Stanford University School of Medicine points to biological factors hard-wired into the brain as the cause. Reportedly, MRI scans taken of both men and women while playing a simple game showed a marked difference in the areas of the brain responsible for feelings of reward and addiction. Men simply got more of a buzz out of games than women, by and large.

What amused me was the description of the game they used in testing, which they described as having no real prescribed goal -- the test subjects simply clicked a series of images depicting balls as they slowly approached a wall. The more quickly they clicked the images, the more ground they gained. Without any instruction, the men in the study "appeared more motivated to acquire terrain." No real prescribed goal? Players motivating themselves to acquire terrain? Feelings of reward and addiction? If I didn't know any better, I'd swear they were using an MMO for that study! At the same time, short of casual Popcap-style games, MMOs probably enjoy one of the highest female to male ratios in the industry, so I'd stop short of saying that sociology has nothing to do with it. Still, very interesting stuff.

MassivelyStudy shows men's brains hard-wired for games originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may pick up the odd new word here and there playing MMO's, but a recent university study has used the game EverQuest II to reinforce the entire English language. The article was noticed by one of EQ2's senior producers Scott Hartsman on his personal blog. Hartsman muses that people will always find new ways to use code or software to achieve things that they had not been designed for, but also says that this particular use of EQ2 "wasn't something that was on the radar".

There were a number of reasons that EQ2 was chosen by the Northwestern University researchers for their project. They had considered World of Warcraft too, but in the end EQ2's clear descriptions and labeling made it the ideal choice. Everything is explained in detail in the game, and most items and places have extra labels on them. The researchers said that there is simply a lot more text in the game than in WoW.

Continue reading EQ2 helps teach English in pilot study

MassivelyEQ2 helps teach English in pilot study originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently playing MMOs are worse for your health than regular games, but they're also more fun, too. That's the conclusion of a Syracuse University study that sent groups of students out to play four types of games-- arcade games, a Gaunlet PS2 game, Diablo II, and Dark Age of Camelot. Apparently the DAoC folks reported that their game had a more adverse effect on their health, and that their social and student lives were more affected by their playtime.

But they also had more fun-- the students who played DAoC reported that they enjoyed their playtime more, and had even made more friends ingame than any of the other games. The professor who commissioned the study wisely strayed away from the word "addiction," and says that addiction is completely different than what happens to gamers. Instead, he says, more attention should be paid not to violence in games, but to the "enthrallment" factor. Some games are easy to pick up and put down, and other games, while more rewarding, are more likely to involve you as a player. Online games, says Raph Koster, are "more intense."

So I can't exactly tell what the study solves, but most of the reasoning sounds all right. My only worry is just how old the games are-- seriously, Gauntlet? Dark Age? It would be interesting to see if a more recent MMO (like LotRO or WoW) was able to balance the enthrallment/timesink factor a little better without losing the payoff.

[ via DungeonRun.com ]

MassivelyStudy: MMO players play more... and get more originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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