Small groups (see below) may want to watch these videos about protests in World of Warcraft (sorry, Patrick), and/or check out an explanatory piece, linked here: Gameplay protests in WoW
WoW players protest the ban of Swifty
Questions to consider in groups:
- Kishonna Gray paints a fascinating picture of women breaking the rules of a system in order to resist a system that offers them no protection — but that rule-breaking often constituted griefing, sometimes to game-breaking levels. The title of Gray’s piece challenges readers to determine where the lines may be drawn between resistance and disruption. Are players who ignore/mute others to preserve a game experience in a shared space also demonstrating resistance, in the sense that it goes against a system that includes voice chat? Are players who continually talk, sing, or who are otherwise vocally disruptive resisting in a sense (passively or actively?)? (Obviously, we might want to discuss different motivations in these instances!). Are there student behaviors in the classroom we may be able to similarly classify?
- Why do the kinds of protests Gray identifies, along with those in the WoW videos, consistently fail? Are they failing, or is empowerment of the protestors a victory in itself? Is there a way to effectively protest inside a game’s system in a way that brings about change?
- An example of a protest that worked — but was it a protest? In Ultima Online, a player named Chrae forced a change in the game’s design when he crashed the server with an army of slimes. Slimes were low level enemies that split when struck, and Chrae trapped several slimes in a house, used purple potions (which functioned sort of like grenades), hit all the slimes until his computer was on the brink of collapse, and then opened the door to his house. Slimes poured out, slaughtered everyone, and crashed the server. The next day, he identified himself and said he’d do it again if he didn’t get a ransom. No one took it seriously, so he went forward, crashing the server again. On the third day, slimes were change via patch: they no longer split when hit. Was this trolling/griefing, or a (successful) act of resistance? Here is what is reportedly Chrae’s account of the event (old; broken images).
- While I was not able to verify the removal of posts from Xbox Live about racism and harassment, I went through several forums, and the only place I saw any references were in the ban/suspension forums (under some reasons for action). How does systemic blockage of “unsavory” topics on official forums, as Gray’s interviewees describe it, impact communication and community? (Side question, related to linguistic profiling: on unofficial forums, such as reddit, women have frequently asked about voice-masking technology. What impact might mass/compulsory implementation of such tech have on online gaming systems, identity, and more?)
- REAL question: What are the implications of games designed for particular genders? What might more inclusive environments for women offer the gaming communities instead? What are the implications of identity exploration in the current game climate, particularly the MMO climate, as you understand it/have experienced it?
- This was the original, incorrect question: Paul Taylor (wrong Taylor!) writes that all software must exist with a theoretical focus and inside a theoretical framework. How does that apply to some of the games we’ve played together this semester? Does “game” constitute its own framework, or do games like Submerged and Brothers exist within another frame? What about Super Mario Maker? Zork? How can we apply Taylor’s thoughts on flexibility, simplicity, etc. to using games in the classroom, particularly when students are faced with unfamiliar interfaces?
Groups and questions:
- Dr. Sam/Sherri/John 3, 4, 5
- Tony/Sam/Amelia/Jen 2, 3, 5
- Bianca/Ashley/Patrick 1, 2, 4