QJ.NET – MMORPG Blog – 24/7 Coverage of the Latest MMORPG News – MMOs: The New Pubs? This is a brief overview of new research by Constance Steinkuehler and Dmitri Williams. Highlights include the following:
MMOs can “promote sociability and new worldviews… MMOs can also expose gamers to ideas, world views and cultures they might not otherwise get a chance to experience. “Spending time in these social games helps people meet others not like them, even if it doesn’t always lead to strong friendships. That kind of social horizon-broadening has been sorely lacking in American society for decades,” explained Steinkuehler and Williams.
Sadly I don’t see a link to the original research. :(