[MUD-Dev] Deriving Self Esteem from one's MMORPG avatar [was:Long-Term Rewards]

[Vladimir Cole]

"Michael Hartman" <michael at thresholdrpg.com> wrote:

> Can having a successful MMORPG character make one less ambitious
> or driven in real life because the sense of accomplishment you are
> deriving from the game is sufficiently satisfying?

To put it another way, we can assume that people with the
wherewithal to afford a computer, broadband connection, and monthly
subscription to the MMO of their choice are relatively satisfied in
their physiological and safety needs. They have air, food, water,
shelter and a comforting regimen.

So the question is whether MMOs offer sufficient fulfillment higher
up in Maslow's hierarchy. The next three levels are "Love,"
"Esteem," and "Self-Actualization."

Here's how the common MMO satisfies the hierarchy:

  LOVE NEEDS

    http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM

    Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups,
    religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We need to feel loved
    (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performers
    appreciate applause. We need to be needed.  Beer commercials, in
    addition to playing on sex, also often show how beer makes for
    camaraderie. When was the last time you saw a beer commercial
    with someone drinking beer alone?


  The MMO has been designed to fill this human desire for love in
  numerous ways. Races, classes, specializations, clans, guilds,
  ad-hoc groups, fan fairs, in-game text and voice chat, and out of
  game chat and message communities all contribute to this feeling
  of belonging. And that's not even touching the romantic love
  connections that spring up in and around

  ESTEEM NEEDS

    http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM  (same source)

    There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem which
    results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's
    the attention and recognition that comes from others. This is
    similar to the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration
    has to do with the need for power. People who have all of their
    lower needs satisfied, often drive very expensive cars because
    doing so raises their level of esteem. "Hey, look what I can
    afford-peon!"

  The MMO seems expressly designed to give its user a sense of
  esteem. I don't need to belabor this point on this list. The
  larger the community that recognizes the achievements of an
  avatar, the more likely it is that these esteem needs will be
  fulfilled by the game. Think of Everquest's "Big Swinging Dicks"
  -- players of the game who by virtue of their extreme committment
  to the game (and neglect of out-of-game activities) accomplished
  feats that really are impressive within the confines of the
  game. Certain players were even able to parlay this in-game
  recognition into out-of-game advancement. Think Dennis Fong
  (Thresh from Quake), Jeffrey Kaplan (Tigole Bitties from
  Everquest) and even people experimenting with non-tradititional
  routes of in-game advancement, such as Julian Dibbell (Ultima
  Online) and Jonathan Yantis (Everquest).

The crossovers, however, are rare. The majority of the players
satisfy esteem needs simply by climbing the designer's advancement
ladder.

Finally, atop the pyramid there's self-actualization... Maybe some
of the crossovers mentioned above have moved into the realm of self
actualization, but I'd argue that self actualization is largely
inhibited by extensive involvement in an MMO. In fact, a common
refrain of players who quit MMOs goes something like this, "I need
to spend some time on the things that matter. I'm not doing enough
with my life."

Love and Esteem are the hooks that keep people playing these games
for years -- and in cases when players lack sufficient love and/or
esteem outside of the game, these become dopamine-generating
activities that truly "addict" people to MMOs.

Like Michael, I'd love to see a study that quantifies all of
this. In the meantime, Maslow's hierarchy does aid understanding of
what it is that people get out of these things.

- Vlad
(Future game producer, current software development project manager.)
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