VIRTUAL SOCIAL LIFE AND RELATED MARKETING EFFORTS IN THE WORLD OF ONLINE GAMES

Abstract

As the Internet and the World Wide Web proliferate, a new form of communication and interaction has been made possible. People live increasingly hybrid lives where the physical and the digital, the real and the virtual interact. Massively multiplayer online role - playing games (MMORPGs), i.e. online role playing games, are a special medial and social phenomenon of our time and experienced a massive growth of players. Studies reveal that mmorpg players compose a heterogenic population and spend considerable amount of time in the virtual world. Extensive interest in the virtual world makes way for a new entertainment market and supplementary environments such as game forums, chat points and specialized web sites. On the other hand while the market shares of game based networks are increasing dependence and addiction become an important issue. This research concentrates on game oriented social life and related markets in this phase and tries to describe the framework of internet based virtual communications, game based online markets, game memberships, forums and virtual chat points with regard to effects on social life in the global frame as well as mentioning Turkey’s position.

Keywords

• Mmorpgs, game based social life, online game marketing, game forums, virtual chat.

Kaynakça

1. Bloomfield, Robert, Benjamin Duranske (2009), “Protecting Children in Virtual Worlds Without
2. Undermining Their Economic, and Social Benefits”, Washington and Lee Law Review; 66, 3. De Freitas, S. (2007, June 26). “Learning in Immersive Worlds. Retrieved from A review of game based learning, Jısc e-learning program: http://jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearning_innovation/gaming%20report_v3.3.pdf
3. Dibbell, J. (2006) “Play Money: Or, how I quit my day job and made millions trading virtual loot
4. ”, New York: Basic Books. Ho, S. & Mcleod, D. M. (2008). Social-Psychological Influences on opinion Expression in Face- to-Face and Computer-Mediated Communication, Communication Research, 35 (2), 190-207.
5. J., B. (1991 ). “Relational message interpretatios of touch, conversational distance, and posture”. J Nonverbal Behav 15 , 233-259.
6. Jordan, Brigitte, (2009) “Blurring Boundaries: The "Real" and the "Virtual" in Hybrid Spaces”;
7. Human Organization, 68, 2. McDevitt, M., Kiousis, S., & Wahl-Jorgensen, K. (2003). Spiral of Moderation: Opinion expression in computer-mediated discussion. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 15 (4), 454-470.
8. Mitchell, K., Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor (2007), “Online Requests for Sexual Pictures from

9. Youth: Risk Factors and Characteristics”, Journal of Adolescent Health, 196-197. Norman, D. A., Shoprer, J. C. (1996), "Learner-Centered Education" Communications of the ACM, vol. 39, No.4, pp.24-27.
10. Nowak, K. L., & Rauh, C. (2006). “The influence of the avatar on online perceptions of anthropomorphism, androgyny, credibility, homophiliy, and attraction”. 11J. Com.- med.comm,153, 153.
11. O'Connor, Debra L, Ellen S Menaker (2008), “Can Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming
12. Environments Support Team Training?”, Performance Improvement Quarterly, 21, 3. Oddone-Paolucci, E., Mark Genius, Claudio Violato (2000), “A Meta Analysis of the Published
13. Research on the Effects of Pornography”, The Changing Family and the Child Development, p48- Ricci, K. E., Salas, E., Cannon-Bowers, & A., J. (1996 ). “Do computer-based games facilitate knowledge acquisition and retention?”, Military Psychology, 89 (4) , 295-307.
14. Rosenthal, Beth Ellyn (2009), “Ernst & Young Uses Avatars to Test the Use of Virtual Worlds as a Way to Enhance Training for New Auditors”, Journal of Outsourcing.
15. Schiller, Shu Z. (2009), “Practicing Learner-Centered Teaching: Pedagogical Design and Assessment of a Second Life Project”, Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 20(3).
16. Steinkuehler, C. (2006). “Situated İdentities as styles of play in massively multiplayer online games”, Madison: Unpublished manuscript, University of Wisconsin.
17. Whitaker, Jodi L., Brad J. Bushman (2009), “Online Dangers: Keeping Children and Adolescents
18. Safe”, Washington and Lee Law Review, 66, 3. Yao-Chung, Chuang (2006), “Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game-Induced
19. Seizures:A Neglected Health Problem in Internet Addiction”, Cyberpsychology&Behaviour. 450- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD#Psychology_and_engagement [Accessed 20.05.2010]
20. Bartle Richard (2002) http://www.livinginternet.com/d/di_major.htm [Accessed 20.05.2010] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD#cite_ref-livinginternet_12-0 [Accessed 20.05.2010] http://www.slideshare.net/WeAreRemedy/120108[Accessed 20.05.2010]
21. SGI (2010) http://www.seriousgamesinstitute.co.uk[Accessed 20.05.2010]
22. Bartle Richard (2003) http://www.mud.co.uk/dvw/mudsasasociety.html[Accessed 20.05.2010] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD#cite_ref-livinginternet_12-0[Accessed 20.05.2010]