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Mimetic Rivalry in Shared Virtual Environments: a Study of Conflict and Imitation in World of Warcraft

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Mimetic Rivalry in Shared Virtual Environments: a Study of Conflict and Imitation in World of Warcraft Mimetic rivalry in shared virtual environments: A study of conflict and imitation in World of Warcraft A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Eli Goren Brunel University London October 2018 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisor Geoff King for his unswerving guidance, his undogmatic attitude and his exceptional ability to inspire and instruct. This thesis owes a lot to his attention which was never refused to me. I am also grateful to my second advisor Will Self, who was invariably thought-provoking and supported me more than once through what was not always an easy time. I am indebted to those who constantly made me feel better about what I was doing: The Older Gamers metacorporation — tens of thousands of men and women from different countries and different walks of life, in their mid-thirties to their mid-seventies, humble, hardworking, able to engage with online video games like no one else I’ve met. Their presence was unseen, their influence — indirect, yet they are the best reason why this study should have been done. 3 Abstract Mounting evidence from neuroscience, clinical psychology and human development points to significance of imitation in human behaviour, interpersonal relationships and collectively pursued activities. These group activities include participation in online multiplayer computer games, massively multiplayer online games or other kinds of socially situated gaming. However, despite the growing salience of either subject, a wide-scale research of imitation in collective play is yet to be carried out. This study addresses this gap in knowledge by looking at imitative phenomena in massively multiplayer online gaming from the conceptual perspective of René Girard’s mimetic hypothesis. The hypothesis proceeds from the following assumptions: goal commitment is activated by reflexive imitation and regulated by goal proximity; extrinsic goal value is reciprocally accrued within the goal pursuing group; competing motivations towards collectively pursued goals result in intra-group aggression. Mimetic impulse is, therefore, formally equivalent to conflictual imitation. This thesis seeks to register how conflictual imitation may be encouraged by the game and reproduced by the players. The study applies a combination of formal and phenomenological approach to World of Warcraft player experience, specifically, that obtained at the highest difficulty of collective play. Subjective analytical outcomes are corroborated by evidence from fieldwork which took place over the period of two years and enabled the researcher to engage with the subject from the perspective of high competence and literacy. To offset the possible confirmation bias and support the analytical findings and field observations with quantitative data, the study introduces a comparative survey of World of Warcraft players. The 334 respondents include 164 Russian-speaking gamers: a representative sample for what is widely regarded as a hyper-competitive gamer community. 4 Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................2 Abstract .........................................................................................................................3 1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................7 1.1 Conflictual imitation in massively multiplayer online games .............................. 10 1.2 Statement of purpose .......................................................................................... 16 1.3 Research questions, aims and objectives ............................................................ 18 2 Theoretical framework ........................................................................................... 20 2.1 Mimetic theory: A concise summary .................................................................. 20 2.1.1 Primary imitation, acquisitive mimesis and triangular desire ........................ 24 2.1.2 Mimetic proximity, external and internal mediation ..................................... 27 2.1.3 Mimetic rivalry and model-obstacle relationship.......................................... 30 2.1.4 Mimetic crisis, group symmetry and elimination of differences ................... 34 2.1.5 Stereotypes of persecution and magical thought ........................................... 39 2.1.6 Monstrous transformation, single victim mechanism ................................... 43 2.2 Mimetic theory: Issues and limitations ............................................................... 47 2.2.1 General considerations................................................................................. 48 2.2.2 Gender34 bias of the theory .......................................................................... 53 2.2.3 Gender bias in the subject ............................................................................ 59 2.2.4 Interdisciplinarity of approach ..................................................................... 65 2.3 Mimetic desire and player motivation ................................................................ 70 2.3.1 Richard Bartle’s player types theory ............................................................ 72 2.3.2 Nick Yee’s motivations to play .................................................................... 80 3 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 86 3.1 Qualitative content analysis ................................................................................ 88 3.1.1 Previous adaptations of textual approaches .................................................. 95 3.1.2 Content analysis research procedure ............................................................ 99 3.2 Field research ................................................................................................... 105 3.2.1 Field study research procedure ................................................................... 111 3.3 Comparative survey ......................................................................................... 116 3.3.1 Survey research procedure ......................................................................... 120 5 4 Mimetic desire in World of Warcraft .................................................................... 123 4.1 Player-character identity .................................................................................. 124 4.1.1 Defining player-character identity.............................................................. 125 4.1.2 Mimetic construction of identity ................................................................ 130 4.2 Character gender as a factor of differentiation .................................................. 136 4.2.1 General observations on character gender .................................................. 137 4.2.2 Cross-gendering and slutmogging .............................................................. 142 4.2.3 Mimetic phenomenology of cross-gendering ............................................. 145 4.3 Character race as a factor of differentiation ...................................................... 155 4.3.1 General observations on character race ...................................................... 156 4.3.2 Mimetic themes and patterns in race-related mechanics ............................. 160 4.4 Character faction as a factor of differentiation .................................................. 165 4.4.1 Theorising faction differences.................................................................... 167 4.4.2 Mimetic persecution in shared virtual environments .................................. 174 4.5 World of Warcraft endgame as mimetic crisis .................................................. 180 4.5.1 Conceptualising the endgame .................................................................... 182 4.5.2 How the endgame affects differences ......................................................... 185 4.6 Objects and models in World of Warcraft endgame .......................................... 191 4.6.1 Desirable objects as factor of mimetic rivalry ............................................ 193 4.6.2 Intra-communal regulations and reemergence of conflict ........................... 200 4.6.3 Mimetic models in World of Warcraft endgame ......................................... 204 4.7 Character class as a factor of differentiation ..................................................... 207 4.7.1 Raid mechanics and role separation ........................................................... 209 4.7.2 Raid roles as protected differences ............................................................. 214 4.8 Dysfunctional motivations in World of Wacraft endgame ................................. 219 4.8.1 Intrinsic enjoyment .................................................................................... 220 4.8.2 Socializer motivation ................................................................................. 224 4.8.3 Explorer motivation ................................................................................... 228 4.8.4 Achiever motivation .................................................................................. 230 4.8.5 Killer motivation ....................................................................................... 234 4.9 Implicit competition and type-swapping ..........................................................
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