NPCs as Social Mediators in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Authors

  • Nicole Crenshaw University of California, Irvine
  • Bonnie Nardi University of California, Irvine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1609/aiide.v11i4.12829

Keywords:

online game, social experience, massively multiplayer online game, social mediator NPC

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that social experience is a key motivation for continued play in online games. We argue that there is an untapped potential for NPCs to act as social mediators in online games by stimulating social interaction between players. For example, a social mediator NPC could ask in chat, “How is everyone’s day?” to encourage conversations between players. We suggest two potential applications for social mediator NPCs in online games by examining social experiences in two contemporary massively-multiplayer online role-playing games (MMOs): Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft.

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Published

2021-06-24

How to Cite

Crenshaw, N., & Nardi, B. (2021). NPCs as Social Mediators in Massively Multiplayer Online Games. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment, 11(4), 89-91. https://doi.org/10.1609/aiide.v11i4.12829

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 4 (2015): AIIDE Workshop Technical Report WS-15-22 (Intelligent Narrative Technologies and Social Believability in Games)

Section

Intelligent Narrative Technologies and Social Believability in Games