Are Nasty Gamers More Likely to Lose?

[[SS]Midnight]

Are Nasty Gamers More Likely to Lose?
Inconsiderate, aggressive or emotional gamers "generally do not do well" in online play says new report.

Gamers who display anti-social behavior are less likely to be successful in online-play scenarios than those who are considerate and measured, according to a new report.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden have been looking at how gamers co-operate with one another, and what the effects might be on real-life behavior. And while some critics of videogames have claimed that games can turn people towards real-life violence, the researchers found that violent-like behavior patterns within online worlds tend to lead to failure.

The study involved monitoring gamers as they played "thousands of hours" of co-operative and combative online games. Researcher Jonas Ivarsson said, "The situations gamers encounter in these games call for sophisticated and well-coordinated collaboration. We analyzed what characteristics and knowledge the gamers need to have in order to be successful."

The report states, "It turns out that a successful gamer is strategic and technically knowledgeable, and has good timing. Inconsiderate gamers, as well as those who act aggressively or emotionally, generally do not do well."

Ivarsson believes those looking for a link between games and real-world violence are asking the wrong questions. "The suggested link between games and aggression is based on the notion of transfer, which means that knowledge gained in a certain situation can be used in an entirely different context. The whole idea of transfer has been central in education research for a very long time. The question of how a learning situation should be designed in order for learners to be able to use the learned material in real life is very difficult, and has no clear answers."

What's your experience? Is it better to be mean when playing with and against other people online? Or do the spoils go to those with a better nature?

http://games.ign.com/articles/122/12..._medium=social