Abstract
This paper theoretically and empirically explores cheating in MMORPGs. This paper conceptualises cheating in MMORPGs as a sociotechnical practice which draws upon a non-linear assemblage of human actors and non-human artefacts, in which the practice of cheating is the result or the outcome of an assemblage. We draw upon the assemblage conceptualizations proposed in [16] and [8] and on empirical data taken from a pilot study we have conducted during the period September-November 2008 and from an ethnography we are conducting in the MMORPG Tibia (http://www.tibia.com) since January 2009. This game in particular was chosen because CipSoft, the company that develops the game, launched an anticheating campaign at the beginning of 2009.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | DiGRA '09 |
Subtitle of host publication | proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA international conference: breaking new ground: innovation in games, play, practice and theory |
Editors | Tanya Krzywinska, Helen W. Kennedy, Barry Atkins |
Publisher | DiGRA |
Number of pages | 12 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | DiGRA 2009: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory, 2009 International Conference - London, United Kingdom Duration: 1 Sep 2009 → 4 Sep 2009 Conference number: 4 |
Publication series
Name | |
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Publisher | DiGRA |
Volume | 5 |
ISSN (Print) | 2342-9666 |
Conference
Conference | DiGRA 2009 |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | London |
Period | 1/09/09 → 4/09/09 |
Keywords
- Assemblage theory
- Cheating
- MMORPGs
- Sociotechnical assemblage