RU Game Part 3

• Psychological research has largely focused on the perceived negative effects of computer games
• WOW is a “massively multiplayer” game. People playing this game pay a subscription fee every month. In the game, players cooperate to complete goals. Players communicate both in the game and out of the game in forums and in person. In 2008 there were about 67 million subscribers of massively multiplayer games.
• Why do people play massively multiplayer games? For the “immersion” experience, to gain “achievements” in the game, and for the social aspect.
• Five percent of males and fifteen percent of females have dated through WOW.
• People who play the game form “guilds”- these are like sporting teams.
• Huon interviewed 22 WOW current and former players. Twelve of the people interviewed were former WOW players.
• Of the people interviewed, half had full time jobs. Most played about 20 hours per week. All of them experienced a sense of community, and it allowed them to make friends. Some of them expressed a bit of nostalgia for the “old days” when everyone playing WOW were friends.
• Some of the players are “gamers”, not just WOW players. Some people said that WOW is part of who they are and expressed pride at being in a guild.
• Players sometimes talked about serious stuff online with guild mates. They got support from each other when they were going through break-ups and having problems at work. The anonymity of the internet allowed it to be easier for players to seek emotional support.
• Huon says that his research so far illustrates the strength of massively multiplayer based social relationships.

• A “Playstation 2” (PS2) console system was bought and to make sure that too much staff time isn’t taken up, the first user of the day gets to pick the game and it isn’t changed until the next day.
• About one new game is purchased every school holidays
• Bega has a high indigenous population and it is very popular with them (they especially liked the “WWF Smackdown” game)
• There has been the occasional problem, and they wonder how people could put so much effort into stealing a single controller!
• It is good to know what is in the game just in case a “sensitive” borrower sees or hears something from the game.
• Often kids watching the game provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to the player!
• The IT department didn’t like any equipment that could affect the organisations’ firewall so it was good that the games were on a console not a computer.

• They decided to get a console because the library was losing younger members of the community.
• They decided on a Nintendo WII because all of or most of the games for it were “G” rated and the young kids love it
• Older people use it too! There is a bush walking group comprised of older people that use the sports game in it every week.
• “Guitar Hero” is one of the games, but because of complaints about the noise it is only on certain times of the day
• A youth night was held for those who wanted to play “Guitar Hero”. It proved popular.
• They are hoping to get a Macintosh but they are pretty expensive. She will try and arrange for a local business to help as they are often happy to put their name on things.
• Unfortunately, the WII was stolen but a lesson was learnt and a new one was bought and it is locked down now.
• Don’t have preconceived ideas when it comes to technology, because, Penny mentioned, one of her borrowers is an old lady who recently bought an iPad and finds it easy to use for reading!