Power in online multiplayer gameplay

By Jessica Jensen

The social network I have chosen is the online multiplayer game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in combination with the PlayStation Network (PSN). I have been a member of the Call of Duty PSN for a few years and have found that over time the quality and context as a virtual community has improved.

The Call of Duty game itself is a network within the PlayStation Network and I chose Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 because it is the most recent game in the Call of Duty franchise. The main features of this social network are its easy to use communication avenues and the ability to create a virtual persona. Barnes (1997) wrote, “the fictitiousness of these virtual environments means that such a travel is actually 'imaginary', yet they are also entirely 'real' in terms of their immersive potential.” Users communicate via instant messages and live headset conversations that enables real-time in-game exchange of information. Furthermore, it enhances the users’ online experience to be realistic and personal without revealing their true nature.

Power within Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 online multiplayer is shared among the players, however it is distributed according to overall score and level. Players are given a rank according to their score and a badge to show their level. Comparatively, the game creators and administrator have power through controlling what purpose the game has and what restrictions are used. For example, a serious misconduct complaint made against another player enables the administrators to ban a player from participating. I liken this model of power to the concept of Panopticism as discussed by Theresa Petray (2013). The game creators and administrators are not virtually ‘seen’ but their presence is acknowledged and the players interact as if they are being watched.

High-ranking players in Call of Duty will have the advantage of experience over other players and this can sometimes lead players to have disputes among each other. Allen (2003) described power as “a relational effect of social interaction.” I witnessed a verbal dispute between the two quarreling players to see who is superior. After back and forth verbal exchanges, the players agreed to have a private 1v1 game to solve the dispute.

REFERENCES

Allen, J. (2003). Introduction: Lost Geographies of Power. Blackwell Publishers Ltd, a Blackwell Publishing company.

Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Flâneur. Rertieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Petray, T. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Lecture 2, Power: Big Brother and Self-Surveillance. [Power Point Slides] Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.edu.au

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