Since the early 1980s I have played fantasy games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, Diablo II , Mage Knight, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars and Anachronism. My long-term interest in the Fantasy genre, combined with what I see as a continued negative bias toward fantasy gaming by many people who know little or nothing about it, has led me to study various cultural aspects of games and gaming. I am particularly interested in the relationship between gaming , the commodification of culture, and selfhood/identity.
MMOGs are particularly intruiging sites for research because of their growing appeal among a variety of people around the globe. MMOGs are not only sites for leisure; they are rich social environments that offer new forms of sociality just as they demand new levels of commitment from players. They also have the potential for new forms of learning among young people and adults alike.
Current projects
As of July 2008 I have begun working with a group of psychology students in the University of Szeged's (Hungary) Psychology Department who are interested in the motivational dimension of MMOG-play. In the coming year we plan on publishing the findings of an in-depth quantitative survey of Hungary's World of Warcraft player base (n=2,500) as well as supplemental qualitative interviews with players. Stay tuned....
Publications
2009. Williams, J. Patrick. “Community, Frame of Reference, Boundary: Three Sociological Concepts and Their Relevance for Virtual Worlds Research.” Qualitative Sociology Review 5(2).
2007. J. Patrick Williams and Jonas Heide Smith. (Eds.). The Players' Realm : Studies on the Culture of Video Games and Gaming. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
2007. Williams, J. Patrick, and Jonas Heide Smith. “Digital Gaming and Social Life in the Early 21st Century.” In J. Patrick Williams and Jonas Heide Smith (eds.). The Players' Realm : Studies on the Culture of Video Games and Gaming. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
2006. J. Patrick Williams, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith Winkler. (Eds.) Gaming as Culture: Essays in Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
2006 Williams, J. Patrick. “Consumption and Authenticity in Collectible Strategy Games Subculture.” Pp. 77-99 in J. Patrick Williams, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith Winkler (eds.) Gaming as Culture: Essays in Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
2006. Williams, J. Patrick, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith Winkler. “Fantasy Games, Gaming Cultures and Social Life.” Pp. 1-18 in J. Patrick Williams, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith Winkler (eds.)Gaming as Culture: Essays in Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
