Conjugal Gaming: An Analysis of World of Warcraft from the Perspective of Real Life Couples

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Conjugal Gaming An Analysis of World of
Warcraft from the Perspective of Real Life Couples
Kate Compton Marleigh Norton Brandon Yarbrough
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Why Conjugal Gaming?

• World of Warcraft
• Fastest selling video game of all time
• Just started
• Problem Too broad a topic.
• Solution Pick a sub-population to study
• Not the stereotypical gamers
• Real life couples

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Outline

• Brief demo
• Participants
• Data and analysis of couple-related issues
• Role-playing romance
• Adventuring together vs. playing at the same time
• Communication
• Long-distance activity

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Demo
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Participants

• 6 couples - 12 participants
• Recruited via personal contacts, forums, in-game
  chat
• Some interviewed together, some separately
• Ages 22-54, average 34
• 3 couples married, 1 couple engaged
• All gamed before WoW
• All but one couple gamed together before WoW

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DataRole-playing Romance

• Not common among our participants
• Many didnt role-play
• Others didnt want to mix real life romance with
  in-game romance
• Bad experiences in the past

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AnalysisRole-playing Romance

• WoW supports romance as toy
• Items wedding dresses, rings, flowers
• Emotes flirt, hug, kiss, dance
• Could add romantic quests
• Write someones name in the stars for a day
• No good solution for in-game/out-of-game romantic
  awkwardness

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DataAdventuring Together vs.Playing at the Same
Time

• Adventuring together
• Requires characters near same level
• Coupled characters
• Game dates
• Playing at the same time
• Still a shared experience
• Watch each other play
• Constantly talking about the game

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AnalysisAdventuring Together vs.Playing at the
Same Time

• Parties with two characters
• Works well, better than EverQuest
• Classes broader
• Level disparity a big problem
• City of Heroes has good solution
• Link characters

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DataCommunication

• Play in same room, if possible
• Communicate by talking
• Faster than text chat
• Can see each others screens, usually dont look

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AnalysisCommunication

• Text chat clearly not good enough
• Voice chat
• Redesign chat window
• Awareness is good

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DataLong-Distance Activity

• Something to do with partner when apart
• Business trips
• Long-distance relationship
• Good and bad

When he has problems with the game, it makes me
think that he doesnt want to play with me, that
my games not good enough for him.
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AnalysisLong-Distance Activity

• Works great as a long-distance activity
• MMORPGs are designed for that purpose
• Long-distance relationships
• We can help, sort of
• Better than nothing, but not a substitute for
  face-to-face

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Summary

• Brief demo
• Participants
• Data and analysis of couple-related issues
• Role-playing romance
• Adventuring together vs. playing at the same time
• Communication
• Long-distance activity

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Questions?