Qualitative study of Battlefield 1942 gamers

Battlefield 1942:
A Violent Videogame, or Something More?
Report submitted to Joe Blatt on January 14, 2004
HT-500: Growing up in a Media World Final Assignment
By Dave Crusoe
dave.crusoe /| at /| post.harvard.edu
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 3
METHOD.............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Subjects and Subject Recruitment ................................................................................................................... 4
Survey Instrument............................................................................................................................................. 4
Product Studied ................................................................................................................................................. 5
Procedure........................................................................................................................................................... 6
RESULTS.............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Demographics ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Participants’ Use of Battlefield 1942 .............................................................................................................. 6
Parental Control over Computer Use .............................................................................................................. 7
Social Play......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Views of Violence in Battlefield 1942 ............................................................................................................ 8
Motivations for Playing Battlefield 1942........................................................................................................ 9
Learning through Playing............................................................................................................................... 11
DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
Battlefield 1942 as Social Play ...................................................................................................................... 13
What is violence?............................................................................................................................................ 14
Who defines learning?.................................................................................................................................... 15
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................... 16
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................... 18
APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Letters and Survey .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Appendix 1: Sample Recruitment Message Forum Post......................................................................... 19
Appendix 2: Survey ................................................................................................................................... 20
Graphs and Charts........................................................................................................................................... 21
Chart 1: Respondents’ Ethnicity ............................................................................................................... 21
Chart 2: Respondents’ Age ....................................................................................................................... 22
Chart 3: Respondents’ Age, by distributed Age Brackets....................................................................... 22
Chart 5: How many hours do you play during the week & how many hours do you play during the
weekend? (By age) .................................................................................................................................... 23
Chart 6: Who do you play Battlefield 1942 with?................................................................................... 24
Chart 7: How violent is Battlefield 1942? (A breakdown by age) ......................................................... 24
Chart 9: What should Battlefield 1942 be rated?..................................................................................... 25
Chart 10: How important is…(by age)..................................................................................................... 26
Chart 11: How important is… (Heavy users vs. Light users)................................................................. 26
Chart 12: How much do you agree or disagree that… (by age) ............................................................. 27
Chart 13: How much do you agree or disagree that… (Heavy users vs. Light users) .......................... 27
Chart 14: What skills does an expert player possess? ............................................................................. 28
Chart 15: What skills does an expert player possess? (Top two responses, by age) ............................. 28
Chart 16: Do you learn anything by playing Battlefield 1942?.............................................................. 29
Chart 17: What about World War II would you like to learn more about? ........................................... 29
Chart 18: A comparison by age bracket of the two “learning” questions. ............................................. 30
Appendix 3: Additional Information ............................................................................................................. 30
Liked and dislikes ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Skill at playing ........................................................................................................................................... 31
Communication and Strategy.................................................................................................................... 31
Clan Play .................................................................................................................................................... 31
Chart 19: How much do you agree to disagree that…. ........................................................................... 34
Chart 20: My clanmates help me with life problems outside of the game............................................. 34
Discussion .................................................................................................................................................. 35
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Battlefield 1942: A Violent Video Game, or Something More?
INTRODUCTION
In January 2005, I joined an elite 32-person American task force whose mission was to
land on the beaches of Iwo Jima. With little delay, I was sped toward the beaches in a
flimsy landing craft, with one mission: to capture five enemy flags. Only, my teammates
were teenagers from around the world, our medium was a videogame, our enemy were
players just like ourselves, and our goal was entertainment, not survival. With my heart
pounding, the transport door dropped, and out I and five other teammates rushed. The
enemy guns were ready and waiting.
Battlefield 1942, a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game produced by Electronic
Arts in collaboration with Digital Illusions and that’s sold over 4 million copies1, places
its players in the role of a heroic combat soldier, pilot, or tank driver within one of many
multiplayer scenarios. In Battlefield 1942, “…you’ll pick up the sidearm of your choice
and get behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles, ships, and aircraft to go to war on land,
sea, and air during some of the most famous and pivotal battles of the Second World
War”2.
While the purpose for playing Battlefield 1942 is clearly to provide entertainment, what
other effects might playing have upon players? A growing, yet still disputed, body of
research suggests that the playing of violent videogames may contribute to the formation
1
2
Digital Illusions Press Release, July 5, 2005
Electronic Arts Battlefield 1942 Homepage, retrieved January 8, 2005
-3-
of violent behavior (Anderson, C., 2002; Villani, S., 2001; see Olsen, C., 2004 for
counter-argument) in children and adolescents.
While it’s sometimes difficult to ignore the violent aspects of gaming, it’s also valuable
to ask what positive benefits playing might have upon players. For example, although
Battlefield 1942 players reenact violent behaviors as an integral part of their virtual
gaming experience, do they learn anything through their play? Does playing the game
motivate them to learn other skills, or to form other knowledge? To explore these
questions, this paper reports on the results of an extensive online survey, and discusses
the results in relation to recent media research.
METHOD
Subjects and Subject Recruitment
Subjects were recruited from several popular Battlefield 1942™ online discussion
forums, including Planetbattlefield.com and Desertcombat.com. An example message
forum post can be found in Appendix 1. Those who participated did so anonymously; no
identifying information was collected. Subjects did not complete a permission form prior
to completing the survey, although were informed that (1) participation was limited to
those between the ages of 13 and 18, (2) their responses would be used for a class project,
(3) their responses would not be used in a commercial product or published research
paper and (4) their participation was voluntary, and they could quit at any time.
Survey Instrument
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The survey was conducted online, programmed through an open-source survey
software, PHP Surveyor. The final survey instrument was not cleared with the Harvard
Human Subjects board, as would have been normal procedure. Its creation was informed
with results from a more general pilot survey, conducted in late December. The final
instrument was built of questions that explored four areas of play: player demographics,
use of the media, social play, and learning through play3. The final instrument was tested
by several adult members of “The Bad Clan,” a competitive Battlefield 1942 player team.
Responses to the final instrument were collected between December 28, 2004 and
January 5, 2005 (Survey: Appendix 2). To ensure reliable results, one question (“How old
are you?”) was asked both at the beginning and at the end of the survey. Results sets with
non-matching responses (n=1) were removed from the final data set. Respondents who
reported their age as below 13 or above 18 were removed from the data set. No data was
collected from respondents who began, but did not complete, the questionnaire. At the
conclusion of the survey, 51 subjects between the ages of 13 and 18 had completed the
questionnaire and submitted results for analysis.
Product Studied
One game, Battlefield 1942 produced in 2002 by Electronic Arts, was selected as the
topic for this study. This game was selected because (1) it belongs to the “first-person
shooter” genre of videogame, in which the player assumes a 1st-person view through a
soldier’s eyes, and is responsible for “shooting” the enemy, (2) its battles are set in
3
These question categories were identified as relating to themes presented in the HT-500 course. A complete survey
can be found in Appendix 2.
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historical World War II battlegrounds, and (3) a substantial, lively community of
players, competitive player teams (“clans”) and mod groups4 are affiliated with the game.
Procedure
Calls for participation were posted to several Battlefield 1942 online discussion forums.
Those respondents who self-selected to participate were forwarded to a website5 that
explained the survey purpose, requirements, commitment required, and were instructed
on how to contact the surveyor with any questions.
After agreeing to participate,
respondents completed questions in all four question categories. Respondents who
completed the survey were thanked and then redirected to their originating website.
RESULTS
Note: Due to limited space, only those results that are pertinent to individual player’s experience with the game are
reported on in this section.
Demographics
Of the 51 subjects whose results are represented in this study, all 100% were male. Of all
subjects, 86% reported their ethnicity as “White / Caucasian;” a further 8% selected
Asian, and 2% each selected Middle Eastern, Latin American, or Indian (see Chart 1).
Over half of all respondents were either 14 years old (25%) or 15 years old (33%) and
due to the nature of the age distribution (see chart 2), for the purpose of evaluation,
participants were grouped by age bracket (see chart 3).
Participants’ Use of Battlefield 1942
4
Mod “groups” release new environments or objects to be used with the multiplayer version of Battlefield 1942. For
example, the “Desert Combat” mod situates players on modern battlefields with modern weaponry, and the “Vietnam”
mod places players in the Vietnam war. For more information, see the Desert Combat website,
http://www.desertcombat.com/
5
http://www.bitculture.org/poll/index.php?sid=6
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Perhaps due to the self-selective nature of responses to this survey, more than half
(53%) of all respondents reported heavy use of the game, either playing “Every day,” or
“Every other day” (see chart 4). Respondents’ usage of the game varied, but was lighter
overall during the week than on the weekend (see chart 5). The heaviest users, those who
reported playing “Every day,” for “four or more hours per day” during the week and
weekend accounted for 10% of all respondents; the lightest users, those who reported
playing just “Once per week,” accounted for 12% of all respondents.
The average age (15) of the heaviest respondents was slightly lower than that of the
lightest respondents (16.3), which suggests that younger players could be heavier
consumers of the media. This data is supported by an age-breakdown of usage patterns
(see chart 5), which illustrate that the youngest respondents are the heaviest users both
during the week and on the weekend.
Parental Control over Computer Use
Over one quarter (27%) of all respondents reported that their parents have created rules to
govern their computer use. Many suggested that these rules are time limits linked to
school grades, and that they’re allowed to use their computer for more time on the
weekend than during the week. As one respondent mentioned, and as the theme of
responses suggests, the rules are in place “because I play way too damn much.” Another
respondent mentioned something similar, that his parents have created rules “because I
played nonstop for six months, every day, five or six hours a day.” Finally, of all
respondents, just one (2%) reported hiding his playing of Battlefield 1942 from his
parents. He did so “because they are against violent games.”
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Social Play
Most subjects reported they played with friends (80%) or people online (20%); some
reported they play with their father (20%) or a brother (16%). Of all respondents, the
youngest group was least likely to play with friends, and the most likely to play with a
parent or sibling. (See chart 6). Of all respondents, just 19 (39%) reported that they
belong to a clan, or semi-competitive player team. For more information on clan playing,
please see Appendix 3: Clan Playing.
Views of Violence in Battlefield 1942
Respondents did not think the game was overwhelmingly violent. Most (61%) reported
that the game was “Only a little violent,” and just 25% of all respondents thought the
game was “Violent.” Fourteen percent (14%) of respondents thought the game was “Not
at all violent,” and no respondents selected “Very violent.”
However, the older the respondent, the more likely he or she was to report the game was
violent (see chart 7). While 35% of 17 or 18 year old respondents rated the game as
“Violent,” that decreased to 26% of 15 and 16 year olds, and just 13% of 13 and 14 year
olds.
When asked if the game was appropriate for someone younger than them, 16% of all
subjects answered “no,” that they thought the game was inappropriate for someone who
was younger than them. The youngest respondents (those who were 13 or 14 years old)
were most likely to give this response (20% of all those in the age bracket) compared
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with 17% of subjects who were 15 and 16 and just 8% of 17 and 18 year olds (See chart
8). When asked to elaborate, respondents cited that “younger people don’t understand the
atrocities of war,” that younger children might get “the idea that war would be fun,” or
that “they wouldn’t understand the context of violence.”6
Finally, subjects were asked to select the ESRB Game Rating7 rating from a list of all
possible ratings. Most (90%) correctly selected “T – Teen,” although when asked what
they thought the game should be rated, 21% of all respondents selected “E - Everyone,”
and 75% selected “ T- Teen.” Just 4% selected “Mature” (See chart 9). Once again, those
who thought the game should be rated least violent were of the youngest age bracket.
While 33% of those in the 13 and 14 bracket selected “E – Everyone,” just 17% of those
in the 15 and 16 age bracket, and 15% of those in the 17 and 18 age bracket selected this
answer.
Motivations for Playing Battlefield 1942
To assess respondents’ motivations for playing the game, two sets of questions were
developed by using a 5-point Likert scale. The first set of questions asked respondents to
assess the overall importance of various aspects of the game (See chart 10); the second
set of questions asked players to asses their level of agreement with a specific set of
statements (See chart 12).
6
Could this evidence the “Third person effect,” that subjects are likely to attribute the danger of a media to others, but
not themselves?
7
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) provides information about game content in the form of visual and
textual ratings. Ratings include a rating symbol and content descriptions. The rating symbol for Battlefield 1942 is “T –
Teen,” and the content descriptors are “Violence,” and that “Ratings may change during online play.” More
information can be found on the ESRB Website, http://www.esrb.org/esrbratings_guide.asp
-9-
On average, subjects rated “enjoying your gaming experience” (4.7 / 5.0) and “working
as part of a team” (4.4 / 5.0) as the most important aspects of the game, while “ranking
highest in the game stats” (2.2 / 5.00) was lowest overall. The only question to yield
significant variation by age (variation greater than 1.0) was that of “reenacting WW2
battles;” the youngest age bracket (12 and 13 year olds) rated this, on average, higher 3.8
/ 5.0) than did the 15 and16 bracket (2.7 / 5.0) and the 17 and 18 age bracket (3.0 / 5.0).
Finally, 31% of all respondents rated “Escaping the real word” as either “important” or
“very important” to their game-playing.
A comparison (See chart 11) was almost made between the heaviest players (n=6) and
lightest players (n=5). While some indicators remained similar for both respondent
groups, the heaviest consumers average ratings for both “escaping the real world” (3.2 /
5.0) and “reenacting World War II Battles” (4.2 / 5.00) when compared to the lightest
users, who averaged lower (2.2 vs. 3.2; 3.3 vs 4.2) overall.
On average, respondents most strongly agreed to statements “I play Battlefield 1942
because I like to work as part of a team” (4.1 / 5.0), and “Playing Battlefield 1942 has
interested me in learning more about World War II” (3.7 / 5.0) while the lowest average
agreements were to the statements “I play Battlefield 1942 because I want to be in first
place” (1.6 / 5.0) and “Battlefield 1942 is violent” (2.3 / 5.0). This is significant in that it
reinforces the notion respondents primarily play for social entertainment, rather than
personal achievement, and that respondents do not view themselves as playing a violent
game.
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Some age variation was noted between the youngest and oldest players (see chart 12).
Those in the youngest respondent bracket provided a higher average response (3.3 / 5.0)
to the statement “Battlefield 1942 portrays a realistic combat experience” than those in
the oldest age bracket (2.3 / 5.0), and the heaviest players were most likely to agree that
they played to rank in 1st place (2.0 / 5.0) as compared with the lightest players (1.0 / 5.0;
see chart 13).
Learning through Playing
A series of questions was asked to explore what participants might learn through playing
the game. First, subjects were asked to explain what skills an expert player must possess.
Among the many answers (see chart 14), three themes stood out: 29% of subjects
responded that an expert player must possess good teamwork skills; 22% of subjects
responded that an expert player must have an accurate shot; and 21% of all subjects
responded that an expert player must have lots of in-game experience. Other responses
included the need for quick reflexes, good driving skills, a good knowledge of the maps,
and a good computer. Age variation was noted in the responses. Younger respondents
were more likely to cite shooting as an expert skill, and older respondents were more
likely to cite teamwork (see chart 15).
When asked directly if they learned anything by playing the game, subjects
overwhelmingly (86%) answered yes, indeed they do learn something through playing.
Frequent responses (see chart 16) included learning about specific battles (25%), learning
facts about World War II (18%), learning about weapons (16%), learning teamwork
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(16%) and learning about World War II vehicles (16%). Other responses included the
learning of reflexes, learning about warfare in general, and learning about other players.
Some of the more telling responses are below.
Table 1 – Example responses to “What do you learn by playing?”
“3-D modeling, texture creation, 3-D animation, uv mapping, mapping, and a little bit of programming.” –
14 year old respondent
“Learn how it was for these guys back in the 1940’s. Sometimes you get the feeling you are there.” – 14
year old respondent
“Self-discipline – holding fire until the enemy are in range. Improved reactions – tuning your nervous
system to help you in real life. Dedication – takes time and effort to play.” – 18 year old respondent
When broken down by age moreover, all 100% of the youngest respondents reportedly
learned something by playing, whereas only 77% of the oldest age group reported in the
affirmative.
Finally, when asked directly if playing the game had interested them in learning more
about World War II, most (78%) of respondents reported that yes, playing the game had
interested them in learning more about the Second World War. While the wide variety of
responses make the answers hard to quantify, some of the more frequent themes (see
chart 17) that emerge are learning about tactics, weapons, specific battles (Battle of the
Bulge is mentioned twice), and the effects of war. Examples can be found in Table 2,
below.
Table 2 – Example responses to “What about World War II would you like to learn
more about?”
“I have learned more because it fascinated me, I began to watch the history channel alot and I learned how
tanks are made, and also my grandpa was in the air force so I learn from him” – 14 year old respondent
“I would like to learn about why we went certain places, like Africa. We didn’t learn much of that in
school. I find all-things-WW2 pretty interesting though.” – 15 year old respondent
I would like to know about more of the Italian campaign of the second world war, including the Italian
army's battles in Africa and Sicily. – 14 year old respondent
“Well I already have a pretty good knowledge of the war itself, but it has certainly interested me in visiting
the sites where the real battles were fought.” – 18 year old respondent
“I would like to learn more about The Battle of the Bulge. I’ve been to Bastonge, Belgium and the
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Normandy beaches plus some other WW2 sites. But I want to know more about The Battle of the Bulge.” –
14 year old respondent
“The battles that I play in-game. Who actually won them, or how realistic the in-game map is compared to
the real place.” – 15 year old respondent
For both questions, the youngest respondents were most likely to report that playing the
game has increased their interest in learning (see chart 18).
DISCUSSION
Charles Herold of the New York Times wrote “your enemies in Battlefield 1942 aren’t
really enemies. Instead they are your playmates, waging war against the monotony of
life” (Herold, 2003). In many ways, the data validate his thoughts. And, while I certainly
didn’t maintain a concrete vision of what results this survey would provide, I’m certainly
surprised by what the data illustrate.
Battlefield 1942 as Social Play
Perhaps most surprising was the youngest respondents’ use of Battlefield 1942 with
parents or siblings8. Hogan (2001) offers that parents’ co-viewing of media with children
helps to teach media literacy. What this might suggest is that rather than directing their
children through rules, parents might mediate the playing experience by co-gaming with
their children. This hypothesis is supposed by the data; of the six respondents who
reported playing the game with their parents, just one (17%) reported his parents guiding
his computer use through rules. Further research might explore how co-gaming mediates
a “violent” gaming experience.
8
As I stood in line at Circuit City to purchase the game, a man behind me struck up conversation. “Good game!” he
said, “I play it with my son!” I couldn’t have been more surprised – an adult played this game with a child? I thought
this was a glitch of fate, but I asked: does your son learn anything by playing? His response: “Nope! But he sure has
fun!”
-13-
According to a research conducted by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA),
Americans are increasing their use of video games, while decreasing their use of
television media (ESA, 2003). Further research might explore the shifting exposures of
children to specific media, and what motivates their switch. While this study didn’t
investigate respondents’ use of television, respondents in this study reported a much
heavier use of games than a study of gaming habits conducted in 1995 (Cesarone, 1995)
and mirrors a finding (Buchman and Funk, cited in Wright et al., 2002) that playing
decreases with as children approach the age of 18. Further research might identify what
motivates the change in usage between younger and older players.
What is violence?
It’s clear from the data that respondents do not perceive Battlefield 1942 to be overly
violent; just one-quarter of all respondents rated the game as “Violent,” and none selected
“Very violent.” One question to explore is the changing perception of what is violent,
especially since some research suggests that violent gaming impacts behavior. For
example, Funk et al. (2003) suggest that exposure to violent media has a desensitizing
effect on children; these findings could be indicative of such desensitization.
It’s clear from this study that respondents do not perceive their game to be overly violent;
just 25% of all respondents rated the game as “Violent,” and none reported the game to
be “Very violent.” This trend was especially true for the youngest respondents, who
reported the least amount of violent content. However, is this violence necessarily
damaging?
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Goldstein (1998) suggests that enjoyment and arousal are two motivators the viewing of
violent content. Of all respondents, 73% of respondents rated “Enjoyment” of highest
importance in playing Battlefield 1942, and numerous video game studies have found
violent games raise blood pressure and anxiety (for example, Baldaro et al., 2004).
However, in later research, Goldstein (2001) argues that the medium is one of “simulated
aggression,” not physical aggression, and so the enactment is far different and perhaps far
less damaging than actual physical behavior. Furthermore, he makes the point that
videogames are used in a “playful frame of mind,” and so the learning of violence
behavior given that a user’s focus is elsewhere. A study of game players, over time, might
help to better identify the effects of game-playing on gamers. Another question might be,
what are the factors within “Enjoyment” that contribute to the like of a particular game?
Might a part of this be due to unfamiliar material, perhaps educational, such as the
emphasis on World War II in Battlefield 1942?
Who defines learning?
Finally, and perhaps the most astounding finding of all, is that most respondents,
especially the younger teenagers, affirmed that they learn something through playing this
game. One question is, who defines learning? Beavis (2002) makes the point that
children who engage in online gaming form expertise in their domain; they’re recognized
for their skill, and often spend time helping others to learn the game. They join the
popular media culture, and become literate in its ways. The data support these
contentions; respondents strongly suggested that they play Battlefield 1942 because “I
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like to work as part of a team” and that “Playing Battlefield 1942 has interested me in
learning more about World War II.” Some even cite an expert player as one who helps
“newbies” learn to play. Clearly, players are thinking about what they’re doing, and the
situation in which they’re placed. One question might be, how are skills learning by
playing Battlefield 1942, such as teamwork and communication, applied in the real
world? Another question might explore the nature of teamwork; what specific traits of
teamwork are important to build for expert, successful playing?
What respondents’ suggestions about what they liked most include the “game mods” and
commanding different vehicles, they explicitly disliked poor team players, and some even
made mention of the historical inaccuracies within the game. This suggests that the
respondents are actively thinking not only about the game, but the content that’s
engaged, the way the media is used, and the ways in which its use can be most successful.
Conclusion
As Goodman (1998) concludes, while violent content has an impact on its young viewers,
surely there are positive effects associated with the media as well. Asking all the relevant
questions, including what positive effects the media might have upon its users, is
absolutely important in understanding what effect a media might have upon consumers.
While one potential outcome for users’ playing of violent videogames may be an increase
of violent behavior, it is absolutely clear from the data collected in this study that playing,
at least with respect to Battlefield 1942, can also have positive impacts on learning and
maturation. In order to investigate this more fully, future research might explore, to what
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extent does Battlefield 1942 typify the genre of 1st person shooter games, or is it an
anomaly?
-17-
REFERENCES
Anderson, C. C. (2002). Violent Videogames and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors. Children
in the Digital Age: Influences of Electronic Media on Development. A. B. J. Sandra L. Calvert, Rodney R.
Cocking. Westport, CT, Prager.
Baldaro, B., Tuozzi, G., Codispoti, M., Montebarocci, O., Barbagli, F., Trombini, R., Rossi, N. (2004).
"Aggressive and non-violent videogames: short term psychological and cardiovascular effects on habitual
players." Stress and Health 20(4): 203-208.
Beavis, C. (2002). RTS and RPGs: New Literacies and Multiplayer Computer Games. Annual Conference
of the Australian Association for Research in Education, University of Queensland.
Cesarone, B. (1995). "Video Games and Children." Emergency Librarian 22(3).
Electronic Arts (2002). "Features". 2004: Electronic Arts' Battlefield 1942 Homepage.
Funk, J., Buchman, D., Jenks, J., Bechtoldt, H. (2003). "Playing violent video games, desensitization, and
moral evaluation in children." Journal of Applied Psychology 24(4): 413-436.
Goldstein, J. (1998). Why we watch: The attractions of Violent Entertainment. New York, NY, Oxford
University Press.
Goldstein, J. (2001). Does Playing Violent Videogames Cause Aggressive Behavior? Playing by the Rules:
The Cultural Policy of Video Games, University of Chicago.
Herold, C. (2003). Game Theory: Win Friends, Influence People, or just Aim and Fire. THe New York
Times. New York, NY: C5.
Hewitt, D. (2004). Americans Playing More Games, Watching Less Television, Entertainment Software
Association. 2005.
Hogan, M. J. (2001). Parents and Other Adults: Models and Monitors of Healthy Media Habits. Handbook
of Children and the Media. J. L. S. Dorothy G Singer. California, Sage Publications, Inc.: 663-680.
John C. Wright, A. C. H., Elizabeth A. Vandewater, David S. Bickham, Ronda M. Scantlin, Jennifer
Hofferth, Jonathan Finkelstein American Children's Use of Electronic Media in 1997: A National Survey.
Children in the Digital Age: Influences of Media on Development. A. B. J. Sandra L. Calvert, Rodney R.
Cocking. Westport, CT, Praeger.
Olsen, C. K. (2004). "Media violence research and youth violence data: Why do they conflict?" Academic
Psychiatry 28(2): 144-150.
Villani, S. (2001). "Impact of media on children and adolescents: A 10-year review of research." Journal of
the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology 40(4): 392-401.
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APPENDIX
Letters and Survey
Appendix 1: Sample Recruitment Message Forum Post
All,
For a class project, I’m writing a report about players’ use of Battlefield 1942. To inform
the report, I’ve created an anonymous online survey & need for BF1942 players between
the ages of 13 and 18 to complete it.
It’ll take about 10 minutes to complete, and we won’t compensate you for your
responses. The survey data will be used to inform a final class project report, but will not
be sold or published.
Survey Here {Link}
If you have some time, and are between the ages of 13 and 18, would you please
complete it? Your assistance would be greatly appreciated! Please don’t hesitate to
contact me with questions.
--dave
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Appendix 2: Survey
-20-
Graphs and Charts
Chart 1: Respondents’ Ethnicity
Most (90%) of all respondents self-reported their ethnicity as “White / Caucasian.”
However, 8% selected “Asian,” and 2% each selected “Middle Eastern,” “Latin
American,” or “Indian.”
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Chart 2: Respondents’ Age
Chart 3: Respondents’ Age, by distributed Age Brackets
In order to split all ages into measurable, relatively equal distributions, ages were broken
into brackets, as shown below.
-22-
Chart 4: How many days a week do you play?
Chart 5: How many hours do you play during the week & how many hours do you play
during the weekend? (By age)
In almost all categories, the youngest respondents reported the heaviest use.
How many hours do you play during the…
Week Weekend
13 and 14 year olds (n=15)
More than 4 hours per day
27% 47%
Three to four hours per day
13% 20%
Two to three hours per day
54% 33%
One hour or less per day
7%
0%
I don't play
0%
0%
15 and 16 year olds (n=23)
More than 4 hours per day
9%
30%
Three to four hours per day
13% 17%
Two to three hours per day
39% 39%
One hour or less per day
35% 13%
I don't play
4%
0%
17 and 18 year olds (n=13)
More than 4 hours per day
8%
38%
Three to four hours per day
0%
31%
Two to three hours per day
62% 23%
One hour or less per day
15% 8%
I don't play
15% 0%
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Chart 6: Who do you play Battlefield 1942 with?
Chart 7: How violent is Battlefield 1942? (A breakdown by age)
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Chart 8: Is Battlefield 1942 appropriate for someone who is younger than you?
(Percentage who answered “no,” by age bracket)
Chart 9: What should Battlefield 1942 be rated?
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Chart 10: How important is…(by age)
Chart 11: How important is… (Heavy users vs. Light users)
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Chart 12: How much do you agree or disagree that… (by age)
Chart 13: How much do you agree or disagree that… (Heavy users vs. Light users)
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Chart 14: What skills does an expert player possess?
Chart 15: What skills does an expert player possess? (Top two responses, by age)
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Chart 16: Do you learn anything by playing Battlefield 1942?
Chart 17: What about World War II would you like to learn more about?
Most frequent responses to: What about World War II would you
like to learn more about?
(Percentage of respondents who included the response as part of their answer)
(n=38)
More about battles, or a specific battle
Vehicles (Planes, tanks)
I already know everything
More about the people who fought
Tactics and strategy
I have visited or want to visit locations of
the battles
Want to know everything
Weapons
The Africa Campaign
I have already learned more
Realism of the game to real life
34%
24%
13%
13%
13%
11%
11%
8%
8%
5%
3%
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Chart 18: A comparison by age bracket of the two “learning” questions.
Appendix 3: Additional Information
This section reflects survey data collected, but not reported on in the main report.
Liked and dislikes
Respondents were asked about what they liked most and what they liked least about the
game. The most frequent response was that the game mods were liked most; 31% of all
respondents gave this response. Twenty-four percent (24%) mentioned commanding
different vehicles, and 22% reported the online play as their most-liked part. Some 8%
(n=3) explicitly mentioned “killing” as their favorite part of the game.
On the other hand, players (27%) were most likely to cite “bad teamwork” as what they
liked least about the game, a smaller percent mentioned that the game required a modern
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computer (20%) and a sizeable proportion (10%) mentioned historical inaccuracies in
the game as what they liked least. Others mentioned that the game “ruined their grades,”
that they disliked “cheaters,” or that the graphics could be better. No significant
variations were found by age.
Skill at playing
Respondents were asked how skilled they were at the game; 31% reported they were “a
one person army!” (most skilled) 57% reported they “could hold their own,” or secondmost skilled, and 12% reported “they were still learning,” or third-most skilled. No
respondents reported they were “new to the game.” No significant variation was found by
age.
Communication and Strategy
In an attempt to understand what communication and strategies players thought wer most
useful to their play, two final questions were asked: “What communication is most
useful,” and “What strategies are most useful.” While I was hesitant to include these
questions (they seemed vague) I did, in the end, include them into the survey with the
hopes that some interesting data would come of them.
Well, no. Nothing useful came of them, and in fact, responses were a muddle. As one
respondent said: “What? Don’t understand Q.” So, while most questions provided rich
data, in this case, I have learned from a mistake.
Clan Play
Of all respondents, 39% (20) reported they had joined a clan, or a competitive playing
group. These 20 respondents were asked additional questions specific to their “clan play.”
Responses are reported below.
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When asked why they had joined the clan, a range of responses emerged. This response
typifies one theme, that respondents had joined for the “comradeship on the battlefield,
knowing that the people fighting around you are people who are going to back you up
when you come under fire.” Another respondent suggested he joined “because its kind of
like being in an army/small militia.” One strong theme that emerged was that respondents
joined for the competitive teamwork (65% of all clan members) and for the friendships
(25% of all clan members). One 17 year old respondent specifically mentioned the
opportunity to “use my leadership skills.”
When asked what they liked most about being part of a clan, many respondents (45%)
cited the strong friendships they made in playing with, for example, “their pals,” or with
“… friends from around the world.” A similar proportion of respondents (45%) made
mention of the teamwork as what they liked most. Other responses included the fun of
playing, and one mentioned the “stuppid radio chatter.”
Since several different modes of communication are available to players in-game, one
question asked what modes clan players used while playing. The options were: in-game
messaging (a series of commands selected by game keys), voice-over-IP (such as
Teamspeak or Skype), telephone (such as a telephone!), or “other.”
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Of all clan players, just 35% reported using in-game text commands, while 90%
reported that they used voice-over-IP software. Just one respondent (5%) reported
communicating over the telephone during game play.
Outside of game play, these figures change somewhat; 75% of all respondents suggested
they communicated through instant messengers such as AIM, while just 60% reported
using voice-over-IP software. Just one (5%) reported communicating with teammates
over the telephone.
When asked what they talk about outside of game play, many (45%) cited life issues
(such as girls, parents, or sex) or game-related talk (45%), and some (35%) mentioned
that “everything” was a possible topic. A minority mentioned school (15%), and one
(5%) even mentioned “guns.”
For example, a 17 year old respondent said he talks “just about everything, some guys i
am closer with than others. the closest, we talk about girls, family issues, money issues.
others, i talk about computer parts, just about anything. im a leader, so most of the guys
come to me to talk about a lot of stuff.” Another (18 years old) mentioned that “most of
the guys I play with are older and they talk about lots of stuff. Basically they are all
married and its interesting to listen to them...nothing gay or like that.”9 Typically, the
9
It’s unfortunate that this respondent used the term “gay” to possibly defend his socialization with older players, but
important to illustrate that younger players might use their player groups as a bridge between themselves and adults.
One might also wonder what type of family structure this respondent has, and if the “clan” is, in some ways, provides a
proxy.
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younger respondents had much shorter answers, such as “Girls, Sex, Tactics,” which
was given by a 14 year old respondent.
When asked how much they agreed or disagreed to various statements, the average of
responses illustrated agreement to all three statements provided (see chart 19).
Chart 19: How much do you agree to disagree that….
However, the statement “my clanmates help me with life problems outside of the game”
also showed an interesting trend when explored by age. Young respondents agreed least,
while older respondents agreed most (see chart 20).
Chart 20: My clanmates help me with life problems outside of the game
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Discussion
It seems that the extent to which players join clans as part of a social experience and as a
learning experience would provide for an interesting study. That most respondents joined
a clan for the friendships or the teamwork says a lot about the possible strength in
“clanship” as a social structure for learning and possibly, maturation. Finally, it’s also
interesting that older players take advantage of their social network for emotional
outreach, as older players, on average, agreed more strongly to the statement “my
clanmates help me with problems.” Potential future research questions include, to what
extent might a clan structure provide a learning culture; does playing as part of a clan
help to mediate some of the violent aspects of the game, much as parental co-viewership
might? And finally, what might we learn from clan players and their motivations that
could be applied to the construction of effective educational, prosocial games?
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