Make a friend for life by playing MMORPGs

Dupe: http://wow.qj.net/Online-gamers-are-actually-social-says-study/pg/49/aid/100016 

The title was not very clear about the contents of the article.

If you want to make a good friend or have a more intimate relationship, try playing an MMORPG.

A study conducted by the U.K.’s Nottingham Trent University showed that “gamers make good friends with the people they meet in their virtual worlds, with almost half meeting in real-life situations and one in ten going on to develop physical relationships.”

The study established that gamers played an average of 22.85 hours weekly with Blizzard‘s World of Warcraft being the most played game. Professor Mark Griffiths, a member of the University’s School of Social Sciences, gave a few words about the study that may surprise you:

This study has revealed many aspects of MMORPGs that were not known before. Previous research has suggested that gamers are socially inactive, but MMORPGs are actually extremely social games, with high percentages of gamers making life-long friends and even partners.

As well as making good friends online, 81% of gamers play with real-life friends and family, suggesting MMORPGs are by no means an asocial activity, nor are the players socially introverted. The virtual world that these games offer, allow players to express themselves in ways they may not feel comfortable doing in real life because of their appearance, gender, sexuality, age, or other factors.

They also offer a place where teamwork, encouragement and fun can all be experienced.

In addition to this, there are more facts that might interest you if you’re thinking of joining the MMORPG scene to meet someone new:

• More than 30 percent of participants found themselves attracted to another player.
• 40 percent choose to discuss sensitive issues with online friends rather than their real-life friends.
• One in five participants believed that MMORPGs had a negative effect on their relationships if their partner was not a player, while more than two-thirds felt they had a positive effect on their relationships with those who did play.
• Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to other players, and were far more likely to go on to date them.
• Most females gave ‘therapeutic refreshment’ as their main reason for playing, whereas most males stated ‘curiosity, astonishment and interest’ as reasons.
• Roughly one third of gamers reported they could be ‘more themselves’ in the game than in real life.

So why not try out an MMORPG if you’re not playing one? After all, you might meet the woman or man of your dreams. At the very least you’ll make a few friends that you can count on.

Via GameDaily.BIZ

Dupe: http://wow.qj.net/Online-gamers-are-actually-social-says-study/pg/49/aid/100016 

The title was not very clear about the contents of the article.

If you want to make a good friend or have a more intimate relationship, try playing an MMORPG.

A study conducted by the U.K.’s Nottingham Trent University showed that “gamers make good friends with the people they meet in their virtual worlds, with almost half meeting in real-life situations and one in ten going on to develop physical relationships.”

The study established that gamers played an average of 22.85 hours weekly with Blizzard‘s World of Warcraft being the most played game. Professor Mark Griffiths, a member of the University’s School of Social Sciences, gave a few words about the study that may surprise you:

This study has revealed many aspects of MMORPGs that were not known before. Previous research has suggested that gamers are socially inactive, but MMORPGs are actually extremely social games, with high percentages of gamers making life-long friends and even partners.

As well as making good friends online, 81% of gamers play with real-life friends and family, suggesting MMORPGs are by no means an asocial activity, nor are the players socially introverted. The virtual world that these games offer, allow players to express themselves in ways they may not feel comfortable doing in real life because of their appearance, gender, sexuality, age, or other factors.

They also offer a place where teamwork, encouragement and fun can all be experienced.

In addition to this, there are more facts that might interest you if you’re thinking of joining the MMORPG scene to meet someone new:

• More than 30 percent of participants found themselves attracted to another player.
• 40 percent choose to discuss sensitive issues with online friends rather than their real-life friends.
• One in five participants believed that MMORPGs had a negative effect on their relationships if their partner was not a player, while more than two-thirds felt they had a positive effect on their relationships with those who did play.
• Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to other players, and were far more likely to go on to date them.
• Most females gave ‘therapeutic refreshment’ as their main reason for playing, whereas most males stated ‘curiosity, astonishment and interest’ as reasons.
• Roughly one third of gamers reported they could be ‘more themselves’ in the game than in real life.

So why not try out an MMORPG if you’re not playing one? After all, you might meet the woman or man of your dreams. At the very least you’ll make a few friends that you can count on.

Via GameDaily.BIZ