The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating

Stefano De Paoli; Aphra Kerr

The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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
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 Sept 2009 → 4 Sept 2009 Conference number: 4

Publication series

Name
Publisher	DiGRA
Volume	5
ISSN (Print)	2342-9666

Conference

Conference	DiGRA 2009
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	London
Period	1/09/09 → 4/09/09

Keywords

Assemblage theory
Cheating
MMORPGs
Sociotechnical assemblage

Access to Document

http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/the-cheating-assemblage-in-mmorpgs-toward-a-sociotechnical-description-of-cheating/

Cite this

De Paoli, S., & Kerr, A. (2009). The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating. In T. Krzywinska, H. W. Kennedy, & B. Atkins (Eds.), DiGRA '09: proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA international conference: breaking new ground: innovation in games, play, practice and theory DiGRA. http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/the-cheating-assemblage-in-mmorpgs-toward-a-sociotechnical-description-of-cheating/

@inproceedings{c8586d9acb4e41968446162db6a40fcf,

title = "The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating",

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.",

author = "\{De Paoli\}, Stefano and Aphra Kerr",

year = "2009",

language = "English",

publisher = "DiGRA",

editor = "Tanya Krzywinska and Kennedy, \{Helen W.\} and Barry Atkins",

booktitle = "DiGRA '09",

note = "DiGRA 2009 : Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory, 2009 International Conference ; Conference date: 01-09-2009 Through 04-09-2009",

}

De Paoli, S & Kerr, A 2009, The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating. in T Krzywinska, HW Kennedy & B Atkins (eds), DiGRA '09: proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA international conference: breaking new ground: innovation in games, play, practice and theory. DiGRA, DiGRA 2009, London, United Kingdom, 1/09/09. <http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/the-cheating-assemblage-in-mmorpgs-toward-a-sociotechnical-description-of-cheating/>

The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating. / De Paoli, Stefano; Kerr, Aphra.
DiGRA '09: proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA international conference: breaking new ground: innovation in games, play, practice and theory. ed. / Tanya Krzywinska; Helen W. Kennedy; Barry Atkins. DiGRA, 2009.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs

T2 - DiGRA 2009

AU - De Paoli, Stefano

AU - Kerr, Aphra

N1 - Conference code: 4

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - DiGRA '09

A2 - Krzywinska, Tanya

A2 - Kennedy, Helen W.

A2 - Atkins, Barry

PB - DiGRA

Y2 - 1 September 2009 through 4 September 2009

ER -

The cheating assemblage in MMORPGs: toward a sociotechnical description of cheating

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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