Virtual worlds not far from home
Social scientist and engineer Noshir Contractor of Northwestern University conducted a curious study on the social dynamics of virtual reality using the popular game EverQuest II. Using 60 terabytes of game data and a survey of 7,000 players, Contractor found several “structural signatures”, particular kinds of social network configurations:
Many players underestimate the time they spend playing the game
The amount of players who admit to being depressed is disproportionately high
Women don’t like to play with other women
The average player is not a teenager, the mean age being 25-26
Most people play with others from the same general geographic area
Virtual Games Players Stick Close To Home, ScienceDaily.com