This is a slide deck that I created and presented in 2010/2011 when I was asked to give a talk on gamers & gaming. I'm still playing WoW, and I've leveled up ;)

1. GAMERS
Uniquely suited
to save the world
Kimberley R. Barker
Emerging Technology
Librarian
Level 76 Shadow Priest,
World of Warcraft

2. •I T M U S T B E A D D R E S S E D …
•S T E R E O T Y P E S & P R O F I L E S / T H E G A M E R
P E R S O N A L I T Y
•T H E P R O B L E M O F R E A L I T Y
•G A M I N G ’ S P O S I T I V E I M P A C T O N T H E R E A L
W O R L D
Overview

3. But first: “Onlines games are so stupid because:”
 You’re just sitting there
 You’re wearing stupid costumes
 You’re investing time and energy with nothing to
show for it

4. Hey! You’ve just described these guys!

5. But that’s not fair! Sports fans:
 Spend time with friends
 Invest in something they believe in
 Are part of something bigger than themselves

6. So are gamers!

7. Stereotypes
 The teenage loner who has no friends
 The 30-something clerk who lives in his parents’
basement and ventures outside only to the comic
book store
 The unattractive woman who doesn’t date and has a
dead-end job

8. Stereotypes- common traits
 Socially awkward; unlikable
 Professionally unsuccessful/not likely to be so
 Physically unattractive
 Not much to offer “the real world”

9. In truth…

10. My profile
 36 year-old female
 Married
 One child (2 years old)
 Employed full-time
 Self-described “frustrated idealist”

11. My guild
 Guild leader is a stay-at-home mom
 Raid leader is a software design engineer @ HP
 Members are:
 Grandparents
 Teenagers
 Real-life friends
 Employed full-time
 Retired on disability
 Accountant, programmers, zoo keeper, district managers,
active military, academics, students, construction workers

12. Stereotypes of games
 Promote violence
 Sexist
 Materialistic

13. In truth…
 MMO’s foster:
 Collaboration
 Altruism
 Camaraderie

14. MMO Research
 Nick Yee

15. The Daedalus Project

16. PlayOn

17. In their own words

18. Altruism

19. “Evil is evil”

20. The old virtues

21. Change the world

22. My guild
 Passages from our charter
 “The Guild is a family. Always take care of your brothers and sisters. You can trust that they, in turn, will take care of
you. World of Warcraft* is a living community made up of real people. Always treat other players, Guildbrothers and
not, with the same courtesy, dignity and respect with which you yourself wish to be treated. Life is a journey that
includes both smooth, level roads and steep, rocky paths. Help other people navigate the difficult passages whenever
possible, even though it may sometimes increase the danger to yourself. There is a great personal reward in helping
someone in need. It's also possible that you may one day be helped similarly in return.
 Never, ever, even think about acting threateningly or abusively towards another player. If you become angry with
someone, go into a neutral corner and cool down. Leave the game for a while if that's what you need in order to regain
your composure. It's not real life so don't get upset about things that happen while playing.
 … welcomes members of all races, classes, and levels regardless of age, gender, location or playing skill. However, the
guildhall is rather small so those with large egos will be too cramped for comfort and should look elsewhere. We are
friends who enjoy each other's companionship, the good humor of chatting while playing, and the experiences we share
as a group. We don't have any chips on our shoulders and we don't take the game too seriously. When we die in WoW
we quickly return only a little worse for wear. Real life should be so good.
 Our goal is to make everyone recognize [guild name] tag as a sign that they will have more fun playing with us than they
would without us. Always behave in ways that will enhance the reputation of the Guild and make it a welcome addition
to the game for members and non-members alike.

23. Reality IS broken
 Real life rewards the wrong things
 Success NOT effort or risk (failed quest vs. failed law school
attempt)
 Physical attractiveness (MMO’s are level playing field)
 Social acuity
 Winning, not empathy

24. Reality IS broken
 What else is wrong?
 Roles often not clearly defined
 People are often not allowed to play to their strengths
 Collaboration is seen as an add-on and not as an absolute
necessity
 The risks to self and security are too high
 Honor is an antiquated concept

25. Reality IS broken

26. The lightbulb!
 Games and hard science
 Phylo
 Foldit

27. Science games

28. Science games

29. Here at Uva…
 Dan Becker, Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics
and Humanities, a Professor of Medicine in the Division of
General Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, and
founding and current editor-in-chief of Hospital Drive
 “Dr. Becker is studying the use of computer game technology to
simulate difficult conversations between doctors and patients.”