(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
technical shortcomings and I felt very accomplished when I overcome [sic] that challenge. (Orgevio,
author Tracking Plus, email interview 2010)
There are also modders who find modding as a way of learning new technical skills from the
community. When modders share their mods to the community, it will be tested and critiqued by
other players and modders alike. They provide suggestions and even collaborate with other modders
to come up with better and more sophisticated mods. An experienced modder for eight years said,
I’ve known a lot of people because of my mods. Whenever I share mods, in a just a short time, other
players will download and use my mod. Not all the time they will like my creation, but they will always
comment on it and even offer assistance to develop them further. There were even times when other
modders and I will work together on a single mod. We share each other’s skills. Although others can
just easily steal my work, it’s a matter of trust. (Spiele2000, author Minimap Infopan, email interview,
2009)
Another one said,
I have worked on several mods with different modders in the past and I’ve never had any personal
knowledge of them except for their in-game characters. But, you know, most experienced modders just
want to make the best gaming experience possible for them and to others. I admit that despite my
accomplishments in modding, I still have limitations and I fulfill those limitations by working with
others. (Bobblybook, author ShamanBuffBars, email interview, 2010)
Despite the motivations that the modders have in creating mods, most of them, if not all, are limited
by their technical skills. For most of them, they push their limits on perfecting their creation by trial
and error and collaboration with other modders. The modders acquire different skills each time they
create mods, which in turn expand their technical skills and knowledge of different graphics engines
and the development tool provided by the game developer.
Conclusion
The significance of knowledge production in a situational environment is exemplified in many
different ways during the imaginative and creative engagement of players in a virtual world. Players
acquire knowledge and skills not as a form of direct transfer, but as a positive consequence to enable
them to accomplish a given task and perform satisfactorily according to the requirements of the wider
group that they belong to. This accomplishment also provides an avenue for players to have a sense
of acceptance and belongingness with an elite group of players. It acts like a lapel badge that
distinguishes one player with the other; therefore, providing self-worth and pride with whoever
“wears” it.
Group members performing as an ensemble to accomplish a task reveals the importance of playing
“with” rather than playing “for” other members. The ability of each member to know the proper
timing of executing an action is more essential than knowing how to do the action. In collaborative
gaming, players learn how to blend and use its abilities for the good of everyone in the group and not
just for individual achievement. Self-consciousness and centeredness will prove fatal to the success
of the group as a whole.
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