A Psychological Approach to Decreasing Cheating & Griefing in Traditional (non-MMO) Online Games
Bad behavior online (i.e. cheating & griefing) is a serious problem for online games. Cheating is intentionally using technical means to give the cheater an advantage; Griefing is intentionally annoying other players. Strong data both show that cheating & griefing are problems that have a severe negative impact, potentially decreasing sales and buzz.
A number of techniques have been employed to combat cheating online, primarily using technical solutions (i.e., using code), but these solutions are often costly and only partially effective. Griefing is often ignored as a problem, or handled in a very sporadic manner, with less effectiveness and at greater cost.
Given that bad behavior online is primarily a social problem, I posit that a social psychological approach will be more effective and less costly at reducing the problem than traditional approaches. In this talk, I will discuss how this approach would in a non-MMO game.
Intended Audience: Designers & producers of online games who wish to decrease the negative effects of cheating & griefing in online games.
Prerequisites: Some familiarity with the cheating and griefing that arise in traditional (e.g., competitive, not MMO) online games.
Format: Lecture
Date/Time: Thursday, 2:00 PM
Room: Parliament
