SITUATIONALLY INDUCED SPEECH OF MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAY GAMERS WITH THE EXAMPLE OF FORMING A SQUAD FOR PASSING A DUNGEON

Abstract

The paper describes peculiarities of the massively multiplayer online role-play gamers’ speech in a typical situation of forming a squad for a dungeon. The problem of in-game communication has not been studied properly especially in Russia though playing videogames is becoming a more and more popular pastime. The aim of the research is to prove that the communicative situations and strategies used in them correlate with real life communication. Nevertheless there are certain differences induced by the intermediated nature of the in-game speech. The examples of in-game speech were taken and analyzed according to communication strategies used by the addressant and possible reaction from the addressee. Special attention is paid to compliment, indulgence, defiance strategies and changing the original intention of the addressant. The material presented in the paper allows to conclude that virtual and real communication are based on the same strategies though the speakers use them more freely in virtual communication than they would do in real life. Studying in-game communication can provide valuable material for understanding the nature of human communication in general.