Reconceptualizing MMORPG Play: A Study on Actor-Network Theory in Practice

The growth in the populations of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) has slowed in recent years. Research into why this has happened typically focus on human psychological, financial, or lifestyle factors. However, these fail to address technological actants. This thesis uses a novel application of Actor Network Theory to trace the MMORPG play of sixteen participants uncovering important non-human, technological actants that have been underserved by previous research. These findings alter the current understanding of the MMORPG player as a techno-social construct.