ABSTRACT

The investigation of mediated interpersonal communication is typically concerned with “serious” contexts, such as organizational communication and group processes (Walther, this volume) or health communication (Tanis, this volume). Online dating (Whitty, this volume) is an exception in this respect, since it features some playful and enjoyable dimensions. In general, however, entertainment contexts have received far less attention from mediated interpersonal communication scholars than work-related or other “serious” domains (e.g., Blythe et al., 2003). Therefore, little is known about the importance of mediated interpersonal communication for users of interactive video games although these games have conquered a key position in today’s landscape of media entertainment (Copier & Raessens, 2003; Raessens & goldstein, 2005; Vorderer & Bryant, 2006). Until recently, this lack of research was not problematic, because interpersonal communication was simply not a (relevant) feature of video games. With the increase in affordable computing power and the advent of broadband internet connections, however, more and more video games adopted modes of interpersonal communication between users as a part of their “multiplayer gaming” functionality (Chan & Vorderer, 2006; Jansz & Martens, 2005). Today, a significant variety of “multiplayer games” is available and very popular. For instance, World of Warcraft, an internetbased multiplayer fantasy universe, was used by more than five million people worldwide in December 2005 (Blizzard Entertainment, 2005). For these types of video game, interaction and communication among human players (e.g., in competitive settings) is an important characteristic that distinguishes them from conventional single-player games and raises new questions about the enjoyment of playing as well as the social consequences of (prolonged) game consumption.