My Life As A Night Analysis

Have you ever heard of a highly interactive, multiplayer online game called World of Warcraft, or “WoW”? You probably have heard of it, but have you ever wondered why people are so enchanted by this particular game? What could be so special about it? If you have ever asked yourself these questions, you are not alone. Author of My Life as a Night Elf Priest, Bonnie A. Nardi, sheds light on some of these subjects through not only interviewing players of WoW, but by living the experience herself. However, before she even begins to play, she must attain a fresh mindset. She accomplishes this by breaking down barriers, including stereotypes that people may already have of WoW players. As a beginner of the game, she gets to learn the aspects of
As stated in the text, she initially came up with no “clear hypothesis” (p. 27). Since World of Warcraft has its own culture that had been previously undiscovered, her plan was simply to gather data through experience. This method seemed to work well for her. She makes a point to eliminate all biases from the very beginning, knowing that others may have previous generalizations of WoW, including herself. As Nardi states, “I assumed that the stereotype of the video gamer as self-absorbed young male with few social skills and little interest in anything beyond gaming was probably more or less true.” This may have also been the mindset of people who have never played WoW, or have little knowledge of it. However, through play of WoW, Nardi discovered these stereotypes to be untrue. She reveals to the audience that it is a very complex game that is pleasurable for all players, regardless of age, gender, or social class. For example, Nardi (2013) met “a carpenter who worked in a factory making windows… a nurse… an older man with medical problems… graduate student in chemistry…” (p. 18). This information may not have been easily obtained if she did not personally connect with other
She includes screenshots of what WoW looks like as well as chats between her “guildmates”. This provides the reader with a deeper understanding of what it is like to play WoW. Some screenshots include characters, damage meters, and other images players might see during play. In addition, chats between players become a big role in backing up her arguments. For example, Nardi inserts a few messages between guildmates in regards to addiction and gaming. A college student needed some time away from the game, and everyone responded with supportive words such as, “Take a break or quit if ya need, School is much more important than any game” (Nardi, 2013, p. 132). This sentence alone says a lot about the kind of people that play WoW. Not everyone who plays has their entire lives dedicated to it. Nardi uses examples like these to express the diversity of people that she played with. Although chats were very effective sources, Nardi also utilizes her interviews with players from China. This not only includes her point of view of World of Warcraft, but what people all of the world have to say about it. This allows the audience to encompass a greater perspective. Overall, the quality of sources were very effective with supporting her