Practical middleware for massively multiplayer online games

A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) lets thousands of players interact simultaneously within a virtual world via the Internet. Middleware plays an important role in the development of next-generation MMOGs, which must be built on platforms that address not only the service aspect, but also code maintainability and development for programmers. The authors' compact, high-performance message-oriented middleware has a code-generation programming model that is designed to address many of these problems.     

A load balancing scheme for massively multiplayer online games

In a distributed MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) server architecture, the server nodes may become easily overloaded by the high demand from the players for state updates. Many works propose algorithms to distribute the load on the server nodes, but this load is usually defined as the number of players on each server, what is not an ideal measure. Also, the possible heterogeneity of the system is frequently overlooked. We propose a balancing scheme with two main goals: allocate load on server nodes proportionally to each one’s power and reduce the inter-server communication overhead, considering the load as the occupied bandwidth of each server. Four algorithms were proposed, from which ProGReGA is the best for overhead reduction and ProGReGA-KF is the most suited for reducing player migrations between servers. We also make a review of related works and some comparisons were made, where our approach performed better.     

Operation analysis of massively multiplayer online games on unreliable resources

We investigate the use of a new Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOG) ecosystem consisting of end-users, game providers, game operators, and Cloud resource providers, for autonomous, self-adaptive hosting and operation of MMOGs on unreliable resources. For this purpose, we developed an MMOG simulator compliant with our ecosystem, supported by a dynamic resource provisioning and load balancing algorithm. Using our simulator in which we inject traces collected from a real-world MMOG and resource characteristics from 16 Cloud providers, we study the impact on the involved actors by considering different resource availability levels. We highlight the advantages of dynamic resource allocation over the static overprovisioning with respect to two types of metrics: QoS offered to the clients and financial profit of game providers and operators.     

A model of cognitive loads in massively multiplayer online role playing games

Being one of the most commercially successful entertainment software applications, massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) continue to expand in term of the revenue they generate as well as the involvement of users who congregate in their virtual space and form communities around them to support each other. Unlike conventional offline computer games, or networked games with limited numbers of players, MMORPGs are not merely software applications as they are usually seen as a space with complicated dynamics of social interactions. Hence, it is believed that playing these games might cause cognitive overload problems among the players as they have to constantly interact with the game world as well as with other users. We conducted an exploratory study using qualitative methods to explore cognitive overloads in Maple Story, a typical MMORPG. Our results reveal that several types of cognitive overloads emerge during the game playing. While some of these overloads pose serious problems even to expert players, players seem to develop strategies to overcome them. It is found that some forms of cognitive load are actually desirable in order to make the game challenging. We have also created a set of recommendations that can help game developers handle cognitive load problems in MMORPGs.     

A taxonomy of griefer type by motivation in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

There is an anti-social phenomenon known as griefing that occurs in online games. Griefing refers to the act of one player intentionally disrupting another player’s game experience for personal pleasure and possibly potential gain. Achterbosch [2015. “Causes, Magnitude and Implications of Griefing in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games.” PhD thesis, Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia] carried out a substantial two-phase mixed method investigation into the behaviour and experiences of both griefers and griefed players in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The first phase consisted of a survey that attracted 1188 participants of a representative player population. The second phase consisted of interviews with 15 participants to expand the findings with more personalised data. The data were analysed from the perspectives of different demographics and different associations to griefing. One of the most unique findings is the factors that motivated a player to cause grief to another player. This paper analyses these factors to propose a taxonomy of ‘Griefer’ types (griefer being the individual who imposes upon others). The taxonomy consisted of eight types of griefers, based on their motivation for griefing. Some types related to previous studies, although new types of griefers were discovered such as the retaliator and elitist and these are discussed in detail in the article.     

The impact of social network embeddedness on mobile massively multiplayer online games play

Social factors play a critical role in motivating player participation and commitment to online multiplayer games. Many popular mobile massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) adopt social network embeddedness (SNE) functions to optimise players' social play experience. SNE changes the traditional pattern of MMOG social play by porting acquaintance relationships (e.g., Facebook friends) from social networking sites to the virtual game world. However, little understanding exists on how SNE impacts mobile MMOG players' game participation results such as play performance and play frequency. Drawing on the affordance framework and social capital literature, this research proposes a theoretical model that integrates the factors of SNE technology affordance (identity transparency and information transparency), players' social experience (social interaction, social support, shared vision, and social pressure), plus affordance effects (play performance and play frequency). The model was validated through a longitudinal field study, in which both subjective and objective data were collected from Game for Peace players. Our findings indicate that identity transparency and information transparency positively correlate with social interaction, social support, shared vision, and social pressure, which, taken together, significantly affect play frequency. The results also show that social interaction and shared vision positively impact players' play performance. The study enhances the theoretical understanding of social relationships in players' game participation results from the SNE aspect. Finally, we lend insights on how game operators can improve player game experience and stickiness.     

Solving the balance problem of massively multiplayer online role-playing games using coevolutionary programming

In massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), each race holds some attributes and skills. Each skill contains several abilities such as physical damage and hit rate. All those attributes and abilities are functions of the character's level, which are called Ability-Increasing Functions (AIFs). A well-balanced MMORPG is characterized by having a set of well-balanced AIFs. In this paper, we propose a coevolutionary design method, including integration with the modified probabilistic incremental program evolution (PIPE) and the cooperative coevolutionary algorithm (CCEA), to solve the balance problem of MMORPGs. Moreover, we construct a simplest turn-based game model and perform a series of experiments based on it. The results indicate that the proposed method is able to obtain a set of well-balanced AIFs more efficiently, compared with the simple genetic algorithm (SGA), the simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) and the hybrid discrete particle swarm optimization (HDPSO) algorithm. The results also show that the performance of PIPE has been significantly improved through the modification works.     

A study on the goal value for massively multiplayer online role-playing games players

This study examines the goal of value sought by players of the massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). We drew on the Means-end Chains (MECs) model frequently used in marketing as a theoretical basis. Soft laddering method was also adopted as a tool for in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used to analyze the “Attributes–Consequences–Values” for MMORPGs players, then converted into a hierarchical value map (HVM). The study found that role-playing, interface design, multiplayer gaming, independent play, popularity and virtual pets were the order of game attributes users took into consideration when playing MMORPGs. The consequences benefits for the users were, in order, enhanced interaction, more fun, enhanced efficiency, fantasy fulfillment, winning, novelty, more insurance, increased wealth and stress relief. The value targets sought by players were concluded to be fun and enjoyment in life, sense of accomplishment, warm relationships with others, sense of belonging and security in order of importance.     

ALVIC-NG: state management and immersive communication for massively multiplayer online games and communities

ALVIC-NG is an architecture for networked games based on the classic client/server paradigm. While peer-to-peer and hybrid systems have been extensively researched, the client/server approach provides many advantages that are beneficial or even required from a content, application and service provider’s point-of-view. ALVIC-NG consists of an extendable framework which allows for dynamic allocation of server capacity, combined with facilities for player activity management and moderation. This is achieved by introducing an intermediate layer of proxy servers in the architecture to intelligently channel the messages flow. Additionally, ALVIC-NG provides a means for immersive communication by enabling real-time voice chat between participants through an off-the-shelf conferencing system that is closely coupled to the state management facilities and spatial subdivision scheme. Besides a theoretical discussion, we also provide insight into the design of the simulation setup through which we are able to provide actual figures that demonstrate the viability of the proposed solution.     

An efficient and secure event signature (EASES) protocol for peer-to-peer massively multiplayer online games

In recent years, massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have become very popular by providing more entertainment and sociability than single-player games. In order to prevent cheaters to gain unfair advantages in peer-to-peer (P2P)-based MMOGs, several cheat-proof schemes have been proposed by using digital signatures. However, digital signatures generally require a large amount of computations and thus may not be practical for interactive real-time applications such as games. Based on the concept of one-time signature, we propose an efficient and secure event signature (EASES) protocol to efficiently sign discrete event messages with hash-chain keys. As most messages need only two hash operations to achieve non-repudiation and event commitment, usage of digital signatures is greatly reduced. We also describe a dynamic version of EASES that does not require the pre-production of hash-chain keys to reduce key preparation time and memory usage at the expense of a slight delay of message commitment. As shown by both analysis and experiments, the computation, memory, and bandwidth footprints of EASES are low, making it readily applicable to P2P-based MMOGs.     

Identity formation in adolescent and emerging adult regular players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG)

The aim of this study was to investigate the process of identity formation in adolescent and emerging adult regular players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Moreover, considering the association between involvement in these games and addiction, we took into account also the role of internet addiction. A total of 176 regular players and 239 controls, not playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games, aged between 15 and 30 years completed: the Utrecht-management of identity commitments scale, evaluating three identity processes, i.e. commitment, in-depth exploration and reconsideration of commitment; and the dependence subscale from the use abuse and dependence on internet questionnaire, in order to evaluate internet addiction. A multivariate analysis of variance evidenced that controls were higher on commitment and in-depth exploration, whereas players were higher on reconsideration of commitment and internet addiction. A structural equation model in which the three identity processes affected simultaneously internet addiction and regular involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games showed that reconsideration of commitment was positively associated with internet addiction and the probability to be a player, whereas in-depth exploration was negatively associated only with the probability to be a player. Being a regular player of massively multiplayer online role-playing games seems to be associated with a troubled path in the process of identity formation.     

Time,engagement and video games: How game design elements shape the temporalities of play in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

Researchers and developers constantly seek novel ways to create engaging applications that are able to retain their users over the long term, make them desire to spend time using the application or go back to using it after a break. With this aim, video games can be an insightful source of inspiration, as they are specifically designed to maximise playing time, increase players' intentions of playing during the day or enhance their willingness to replay. In a gaming context, ‘time’ is an important factor for engagement because game designers can design the game time to retain players in the game environment. Drawing on social practice theory, which is increasingly used in Information Systems (IS) research, I conducted an ethnographic study in World of Warcraft (WoW) to understand how various temporalities are produced within a video game and the effects that they have on players' engagement. The findings show that game temporalities stem from the complex interaction between the design features of the game and the norms, routines and expectations that are part of the game practices. Moreover, these temporalities can engender temporal experiences that may stimulate engagement in various ways. The study contributes to IS literature by proposing a novel understanding of how time can be intentionally designed to sustain user engagement. Finally, it suggests that ‘time design’ in video games could inspire designs in broader IS contexts, such as in the gamification of online communities, crowdsourcing platforms and crowd working systems.     

Teaching modeling skills using a massively multiplayer online mathematics game

One important challenge in mathematics education is teaching modeling skills. We analyze the logs from a game-based learning system used in a massively multiplayer online tournament. Students had to detect an input–output pattern across 20 rounds. For each round, they received an input and had 2 minutes to predict the output by selecting a binary option (2 points if correct, ?1 otherwise), or writing a model (4 points if model prediction was correct, ?4 otherwise), or refraining (1 point). Thousands of 3rd to 10th grade students from hundreds of schools simultaneously played together on the web. We identified different types of players using cluster analysis. From 5th grade onwards, we found a cluster of students that wrote models with correct predictions. Half of the 7th to 10th grade students that detected patterns were able to express them with models. The analysis also shows diffusion within the teams of modeling strategies for simple patterns.     

Cognitive and psychological predictors of the negative outcomes associated with playing MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games)

This study integrates research on problematic Internet use to explore the cognitive and psychological predictors of negative consequences associated with playing massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Participants recruited from online discussion boards completed self-report measures on their online game-related cognitions and psychological condition, social skills, psychological well-being, and negative life outcomes associated with game playing. The results demonstrated the important roles that psychological dependency and deficient self-regulation play in negative consequences associated with online gaming. The results also indicated that psychological dependency on MMOGs was predicted by cognitive preference for a virtual life—a construct that is negatively related to social control skills.     

Deploying a massively multiplayer online game with a low-latency server infrastructure

The massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) industry has become an important e-commerce segment due to its impact on the economy. A MMOG requires the deployment of dozens to hundreds of n-tiered servers around the world to support millions of concurrent players. A slow response time stemming from an ill-designed network infrastructure could render the game noncompetitive in the marketplace. This study proposes a mixed integer program aimed at identifying nodes on a broadband provider’s backbone network for hosting a MMOG so that the game distributor’s revenue is maximized while meeting the throughput, the latency, and the budget requirements. A heuristic for solving the model is presented with an experiment to measure its solution quality and speed.     

Personalise your massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) with Artemis

Better mobile computing, broadband and devices have contributed to the fast growth and popularity of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Players are now expecting a more personalised gaming experience as personalisation has begun to filter into most games and not just MMOGs. In this paper, we explain how players of MMOGs can enjoy a ubiquitous and personalised gaming experience anywhere, on any device, and on any network with Artemis. MPEG-7 is not traditionally used for modelling games; however, Artemis adopts MPEG-7 for modelling the player, their device and the game, in conjunction with genetic algorithms for personalising the game, where possible.     

Effective message synchronization methods for multiplayer online games with maps

A solution for the message synchronization problem of the client-server based game system is to wait for a certain period of time (waiting period) until the server processes the messages from clients. However, identifying a suitable waiting period proves challenging. In this paper, we develop two methods to determine the waiting period using the probability of interaction among participants and ranking of the delay among participants. Our methods take advantage of the property of games with geographical mapping, where each participant usually interacts with other participants only in the immediate surroundings. Simulation is performed for the evaluation of the methods and the shows that the proposed methods produce better results with lower average unfair ratio while keeping the same responsiveness compared to the method with prefixed waiting period.     

Commitment to multiplayer online games: An investment model approach

Multiplayer online games have highly committed players who continue playing these games for years. In the present study, commitment to multiplayer online games was examined from an investment model perspective. The investment model was originally developed to explain persistence in romantic relationships, ultimately identifying the three predictors of commitment as satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Furthermore, commitment has been linked to greater accommodation (i.e., constructive responses) in relationship conflicts. The present study extended the model to the context of multiplayer online games. Participants (N = 176) who regularly played a multiplayer online game completed modified versions of the investment model and accommodation scales in an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that satisfaction and investment predicted greater game commitment, which in turn predicted greater accommodation toward the game's problems (i.e., lower endorsement of exit behaviors, greater endorsement of voice and loyalty behaviors). Findings showed that the investment model provides a valid framework for examining game commitment.     

Attentional bias in excessive massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers using a modified Stroop task

There is considerable dispute regarding the nature of excessive or problematic Internet-related behaviour and whether it constitutes a clinical addiction. Classification of excessive gaming is hindered by a lack of experimental research investigating behavioural responses from gamers and comparing these patterns to those found in established addictions. We investigated whether an attentional bias for gaming-related words existed for addicted Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Gamers (MMORPGers) identified using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire.Forty frequent MMORPGers (15 female) and 19 non-MMORPGers (eight female) completed a computerised modified Stroop task comprised of game-related, negative and neutral word lists, Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21, gaming-related variables. The results indicated that addicted MMORPGers had significantly longer reaction times to negative and MMORPG words compared to neutral words, whereas highly engaged and non-MMORPG participants showed no such bias. The presence of an attentional bias in addicted MMORPGers is comparable with research investigating this behavioural response in established addictions.