Social play or social cheating? Another face of sociability in social network games

Authors

  • Suen de Andrade e Silva Utrecht University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i7.4209

Keywords:

Social network games, social play, cheating, Facebook, social games, free-to-play

Abstract

This paper explores ideas of cheating and cooperative play in social network games. Despite being criticised for their supposed simplistic and exploitative nature, social network games have created a new game phenomenon, and have demanded a rethinking in the very meaning of social play. Through both empirical analysis of the Facebook game The Sims Social and participant observation of communities of players in Facebook, the paper discusses how social interactions performed within and around the game transform play in a complex articulation of cooperative and transgressive practices, and what implications it might have for the business model underlying social network games at large.

Author Biography

Suen de Andrade e Silva, Utrecht University

Suen de Andrade e Silva is a game researcher focused on the social, economic and cultural aspects of digital play. She graduated from the research master program in Media Studies at Utrecht University in 2013.

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Published

2013-06-26

How to Cite

de Andrade e Silva, S. (2013). Social play or social cheating? Another face of sociability in social network games. First Monday, 18(7). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i7.4209