Can MMOs have political ideologies?
by James Egan 
Sep 26th 2008 at 3:00PM
Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Politics, Academic, Virtual worlds
The Terra Nova blog is known for its in-depth views on virtual worlds and MMOs, with an academic bent. Contributor Nate Combs has provided insightful commentary on EVE Online for Terra Nova in the past, and recently continued on that track by stating, "I wonder whether an MMORPG can have a political ideology, either by design or by accident." There are few massively multiplayer games that such a question could truly apply to -- EVE Online is the most prominent example, largely due to the game's depth. Combs also wonders if such PvP-centric games and settings encourage militaristic world views, and whether PvE-centric titles (where players don't fight one another, rather are simply rationed loot) are comparable to a Scandinavian welfare model.
In 'Fifty days and worlds apart', Combs writes: "At first blush one might argue that EVE Online with its deep laissez-faire market system and sand-box design that stresses player initiative and 'creating your own story' offers a compelling classical liberal narrative. Dig deeper, does that mean pro-business? Libertarian? Ronald Reagan? Yet, players have fashioned 'socialist' alliances in EVE Online; dirigisme also abounds as an alliance management style. 'Ideology' involving large systems of people - even with well developed mercantile instincts - is never so simple."
See Combs' "Fifty days and worlds apart" for his full train of thought, and for some interesting responses by his readers, particularly from none other than Richard Bartle who discusses some of the ideologies inherent in virtual worlds and MMOs. Bartle expresses his view that "freedom to do leads to freedom to be" and that "if people have ideologies, then the virtual worlds they create will have them too."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Quinnae said on 3:24PM 9-26-2008
Yes and no. :P
Generally speaking, you can't really make a good game unless your primary purpose is to make something fun. If you produce a product whose first and chief aim is to promote an agenda, it'll be terrible. Just look at the games based on the Left Behind series. Goal 1 is to evangelise, then the whole tedious "gameplay" issue is left in a distant second.
So if MMOs do have political ideologies they're usually accidental. The same is true for a wide variety of non-MMO games. Witness the almost farcical wrangling over Spore and whether it promotes Darwinism or Creationism. Realistically it does neither. You play as a "creator" because... that's where the fun is. Not because Will Wright wants us all to believe in something.
As to PvP promoting militarism and PvE promoting Scandinavian social democracy, I think that's a bit of a stretch really. A nice idea, but hard to really pin down, because gameplay always trumps as the primary raisons d'etre for many things that are added or left out of MMOs.
EVE clearly is built on rampant, unfettered capitalism. Whether it's a *poster child* for it is another matter. No one denies the EVE world is gritty and quite often explosive- and its many conflicts, internecine and otherwise, are often driven by sheer avarice. This is all done in the service of painting a particular fantasy world, not necessarily promoting it as an ideal, if you see what I mean. It can just as easily be construed as a cautionary tale.
There is yet more I could say! But I've gone on too long already. :P Point blank, any political agendas in games that aren't explicitly partisan are likely to be inadvertent consequences of gameplay decisions. No one would argue that Warhammer actively seeks to promote chopping the heads off of 'heretics'- that's simply done to paint a particular sort of fantasy world.
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rinks said on 5:13PM 9-26-2008
If Ayn Rand invented an MMO, it'd be EVE.
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Wildhammer said on 6:14PM 9-26-2008
Sure. WoW, for instance, is a monotheistic theocracy. "WoW is the one and only true god" dogma so on and so forth. =P
I think it's setting dependant. EVE emulates pure corruption and capitalism. People make their own rules and their own money. That game thrives on the cowboy mentality.
In most cases it's a race/faction thing I'd say. Each one has its own political standings and culture.
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Lemons said on 9:03PM 10-01-2008
that's Mr. Wow to you sir...