WoW is the new "third place"
by Mike Schramm 
Feb 12th 2009 at 6:00PM
This is interesting -- a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (just up the road from me here in Chicago) says that World of Warcraft is an emerging new "third place." That is, it's a place in between your work and home where you make friends and otherwise interact with new people. Starbucks has even used the term in their actual marketing (to try to make their coffee shops a hangout more than just a place that you stop by and grab a cuppa joe), and WoW isn't even the first videogame to fit the critera -- Sony advertised the Playstation 2 as a "third place" in Europe.But even though Blizzard has never actually marketed the game as a "third place," it almost fits the definition most. Sure, it's not actually a different place -- most people do play at home, I'd imagine -- but in terms of having a different crowd of people that you interact with outside your home or work, that is often exactly what WoW is for us. As Professor Constance Steinkuehler (who has a pretty wild website for a college professor) says, "most people go for the game and stay for the people."
Additionally, she also says that the discussion in WoW and other gaming communities actually makes us better citizens -- we're not just meeting in these games, but we're discussing the issues and relating to each other in a strong way. Obviously she's never been in the Barrens chat on a weekday afternoon, but she's right about guild chats: the friends you make in a guild are likely the most diverse group of people, in terms of backgrounds and beliefs, that you'll meaningfully encounter day-to-day.
Fascinating stuff. Of course, you may argue that the relationships you make in Azeroth are nowhere near as strong as the relationships you make at work and in your own home with friends and family, and likely you'd be right. But remember that without the game and other online communities like it, you wouldn't have those relationships at all. Weak as they may be, online communities like World of Warcraft are pushing our relationship circles to places they've never gone before.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nastyness Feb 12th 2009 6:12PM
I totally agree with this, my best friends are on wow and treat me a lot better than my rl ones ever did. You all have a common ground and thats why your there, all aiming for the sames and doing the same things.
Unfortunately you do meet the occasional idiot who makes your life hell for an hour or two tops but you can hearthstone away (if same faction) or call your mates and server some dignified justice (if opposing and pvp).
I would rather say WoW is THE place for me but definately a 3rd place for others.
P.S Hi been reading the site for a while but 1st comment great work you are doing.
Matrim Feb 12th 2009 6:12PM
I wrote a paper on this as well back in college o.o
great minds? Or maybe the fact that it actually is designed around "Come for the game, stay for the friends" and is incentivised as such
WoWPsych Feb 12th 2009 6:19PM
I am excited to see this wort of information featured here on WoWInsider!
I myself am a WoW-playing psychologist studying this wonderful game and how it relates to our lives outside of the game. We are currently running a study exploring this. If anyone is in a romantic relationship and would like to participate please go to:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=tTQrRTLbdyOhdoFmn9WSHw%3d%3d
Thank you
Aesther Feb 12th 2009 6:58PM
I filled in the survey but (1) its a little outdated (no reference to death knight) and (2) it has some typos and unusual setups (for instance in the question about ranking what you like the most about the game you HAVE to choose other as one of the 5 things since its a force rank).
still, best of luck. I love WoW but all jokes about wife aggro aside I do think that the game can adversely impact one's relationships with non-players.
Jyotai Feb 12th 2009 6:18PM
I can see that for WoW.
But has anyone ever tried to sit down and 'hang out' in a Starbucks. Those places do not offer a friendly space. Its a hustle bustle rushed atmosphere. It would be like hanging out at a Burger King (which some teens do in fact do, but that's no adult hangout).
Coffee shops are 'third place' environments, but not the new coffee shop chain variety of them. You need to find the older ones with more chair space, room for an open mic environment, book readings, or whatever. We've still got a few of those left in San Francisco, but there was a time when they were a norm.
Today though, that sort of space if mostly gone from American society, and places like WoW are starting to become their replacement.
kalatash Feb 12th 2009 7:01PM
You know, that really makes sense. ...of course, my problem is that currently, I am lacking a 'second place', which is probably where my current unrest comes from.
In other news, before I read up on what "third place" was, my mind snapped to the nearest mental image it could, which was "third BASE". And then my mind went weird places, if it didn't outright START there.
Nemesis Feb 12th 2009 7:11PM
I hate Starbucks, full of middle aged posh women and the occasional weirdo... nice coffee though.
zappo Feb 13th 2009 9:59AM
Exactly why I like starbucks. Although I'm probably one of those weirdos...
yaminokishi Feb 12th 2009 7:29PM
"Professor Constance Steinkuehler (who is pretty smokin' hot for a college professor)"
FTFY
Rilandune Feb 12th 2009 7:35PM
It is absolutely true that the interactions you have in WoW are among ones never achievable in real life. When could you possibly be having a live conversation with people from 4 different Continents at the same time all while engaging in a social action together?
I've certainly made friendships through my guild (of which I've been a member for 7 years) that I never would have if I was not a "gamer"
WoW is an excellent way to have intelligent conversations with people of all types... sans Barrens chat of course : )
~Rilandune
therealcaro Feb 12th 2009 7:40PM
I'm a big fan of Constance's work, and think it's great that it ended up here. But really, I just wanted to say: it's hysterical that there's a special tag here for barrens-chat...
pwkalt1 Feb 12th 2009 8:31PM
This reminds me of the first time I played a game on xbox live. I was playing the game, chatting with everyone, strategizing and whatnot, etc, and then someone goes "So, where's everyone from?" And then the responses came in:
UK
Australia
Switzerland
Italy....
Soon enough, I realized that I was the only person in the game from the US, that I had been talking and playing with people all over the globe, all with vastly different lifestyles.
This was the moment I realized that online gaming was awesome.
drew Feb 12th 2009 11:11PM
WHOO! GO UW CONQUERERS!
Tenchan Feb 13th 2009 4:24AM
Weak relationships?
The friends I made in WoW are real friends just like all other friends. That I can't afford to meet them face to face makes them no less friends. In fact, I quite take offense to my friendships with them being in any way called 'less'. And I know I am by far not the only one.
Playing a (potentially) international video game together with millions of other people gives us something that makes any relationship extremely strong: choice. We cannot chose who lives near by in our city, we cannot chose who we are related to. If none of these people are true friend 'material' we are out of luck and have to 'make do' . I know quite a number of people who suffer from that.
We can, however, chose who we guild with, party with, chat with, and thus we can chose those as our friends that we truly relate to, without the boundaries of location, blood or culture.
I argue that relationships on such a multimillion video game are exactly as strong as the people who make and have them want them to be. Not a smitten less.
Cabcru Feb 13th 2009 9:09AM
Ahh, is that what Sony meant? I thought they were just being psychic - predicting the future or something. Shame they weren't, as they'd have nailed it.
Evi Feb 13th 2009 10:49AM
Weak? My relationship with my WoW guildies is very strong. In fact, I'm visiting Las Vegas next month with a few of 'em. My WoW friends keep in better touch than some of my so-called "real" friends. Third place, indeed. :)