Although research on three-dimensional virtual environments abounds, little is known about
the social and business aspects of virtual worlds. Given the emergence of large-scale social …

Millions of people around the world today spend portions of their lives in online virtual
worlds. Second Life is one of the largest of these virtual worlds. The residents of Second Life …

From Pong to virtual reality, Understanding Video Games, 4th Edition, takes video game
studies into the next decade of the twenty-first century, highlighting changes in the area …

This article examines the form and function of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs)
in terms of social engagement. Combining conclusions from media effects research …

Older cities struggling with issues of survival focus on jobs and the economy, but competition
requires all cities to pay attention to the quality of life that attracts residents. Creating such an …

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) have become complex
social worlds. As such, playing these games requires more than accomplishing simple …

This paper explores social interaction in local 'public'social spaces such as local shops,
pubs, cafés, and community centres in deprived neighbourhoods. More specifically, it …

“Reading” competence is at risk, or so reports (in the United States at least) from the
National Endowment from the Humanities (NEA, 2004), popular press, and news reports …

Abstract Though Ray Oldenburg's (1989) notion of “third places”, or places conducive to
sociality outside of the realms of home and work, has received both scholarly and popular …

Being one of the most commercially successful entertainment software applications,
massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) continue to expand in term of …