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Do player names in MMOs mean anything?
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voetius
Grundrisse
#1 - 2013-09-15 11:01:52 UTC

Interesting article on Gamasutra about player names. You know, when you see that post in GD making some assertion without any evidence that player names are meaningful, or say something about the player, well there is a study now that has some interesting conclusions.

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AndersDrachen/20130911/200000/An_Investigation_of_World_of_Warcraft_Character_Names.php

TLDR;

* Do player names say anything about the player or are they random?
* Analyse 18 million names from World of Warcraft
* Draw graphs
* Make predictions
* Real world influences on names
* What about other games, like Shooters
* Conclusion
Graygor
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2013-09-15 11:08:41 UTC
I named my Tauren Shaman in WoW Milk.

Dunno what conclusions can be drawn from that.

"I think you should buy a new Mayan calendar. Mine has muscle cars on it." - Kenneth O'Hara

"I dont think that can happen, you can see Gray has his invuln field on in his portrait." - Commissar "Cake" Kate
Krixtal Icefluxor
INLAND EMPIRE Galactic
#3 - 2013-09-15 11:37:15 UTC
Well the DUSTie in Tidacha last night named S*KMYBIG HARRYB*lLLZ.......

......that tells me he is around 11 years old. Does that count ?

"He has mounted his hind-legs, and blown crass vapidities through the bowel of his neck."  - Ambrose Bierce on Oscar Wilde's Lecture in San Francisco 1882
Kitty Bear
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#4 - 2013-09-16 17:20:22 UTC
maybe more like 9




@OP

do you think a name has relevance or meaning in MMO's?
Kyseth
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#5 - 2013-09-16 17:53:52 UTC
I think it can quickly identify people who want to treat the character as their vessel into another world and those that just want the fast track to moar purplez!
Khergit Deserters
Crom's Angels
#6 - 2013-09-16 18:32:58 UTC
Yep. If a char is named, say, Quasar Starslayer, you have an idea what kind of guy named it. Same for a char named Pimpin Yermom or Aarti Choke.

By the way, I came across a player in a Japanese alliance named Butajima UNKOseikouki. Translated, that's surname Pig-Island , given name POOP-producing-machine. You know what they say about people being the same all over the world? Here's more proof.
Bischopt
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#7 - 2013-09-16 18:41:38 UTC
In addition to what has already been said, your character's name gives you a sense of identity in a world where you can't really use your real life name. That's pretty important.

Bischopt -or Bisch, more commonly- is kind of like a 2nd name to me. I can only assume that at least some people share my experience.
Unsuccessful At Everything
The Troll Bridge
#8 - 2013-09-16 18:55:57 UTC
Sometimes names are just names that you picked at random.



Other times names are epic names that you purchased an untrained toon just to get.

I have no experience at all with the last one.

Since the cessation of their usefulness is imminent, may I appropriate your belongings?
Grimpak
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2013-09-16 19:08:49 UTC
hah, I feel special I chose Grimpak from "Grimpak the Mook" in Wizardry 8

[img]http://eve-files.com/sig/grimpak[/img]

[quote]The more I know about humans, the more I love animals.[/quote] ain't that right
voetius
Grundrisse
#10 - 2013-09-16 20:58:19 UTC
@Kitty ... sometimes, maybe

Unsuccessful At Everything wrote:
Sometimes names are just names that you picked at random.



I chose my name by opening a random volume of a multi-volume history of the 16th C and picking a random page and line.

So based on my own experience I would say that even when there are obvious patterns there is always going to be that random element.
Cynter DeVries
Spheroidal Projections
#11 - 2013-09-16 21:04:19 UTC
Graygor wrote:
I named my Tauren Shaman in WoW Milk.

Dunno what conclusions can be drawn from that.

Had a Tauren Paladin named Fjordly.

The article however, was actually awful. Trying to squeeze morsels of detail from it was nearly impossible.

There is a correlation: OK, what is it?
It observes a power curve: OK, what does that mean?
Certain kinds of names are predictors of continuing play: OK, what kinds of names?

Journalism only trained to II.

Cynter's Law of feature suggestion: Thou shalt not suggest NPCs do something players could do instead.
Uriel Paradisi Anteovnuecci
Itsukame-Zainou Hyperspatial Inquiries Ltd.
Arataka Research Consortium
#12 - 2013-09-17 03:14:30 UTC
I used an Angel's name, then "paradise" in Latin, then my last name mixed up with a bunch of other letters Lol

"A City made of Dreams is built in heaven"
Samoth Egnoled
Caldari Provisions
#13 - 2013-09-17 07:16:02 UTC
Graygor wrote:
I named my Tauren Shaman in WoW Milk.

Dunno what conclusions can be drawn from that.


My Troll Shaman was called Convertable
One Mage was called Manapause
The other Was called Defrosted
I had a Worgen called TerryWorgen
A rogue called ICritMyself
A Priest called BibleBasher
A Belf Paladin called BubbleBoy

I didnt really have any attachment to them to be honest, i just wanted funny names. In eve however i take quite along time deciding on names.
Jarrod Hamu
Imperial Shipment
Amarr Empire
#14 - 2013-09-17 07:43:35 UTC
I let eve pick Hamu for me.

However Jarrod, took me a while longer and a few cups of tea as well.

Can I ask as well did anyone pick there name first and then create the face of the character to suit them or was it the other way around, face first and a name to fit?
Fly it like you stole it.
BLACK-STAR
#15 - 2013-09-17 08:29:57 UTC  |  Edited by: BLACK-STAR
Jarrod Hamu wrote:
Can I ask as well did anyone pick there name first and then create the face of the character to suit them or was it the other way around, face first and a name to fit?
In eve it doesn't matter. veterans are stuck w/ their bloodline.

Aside this stupid hipster noble exchange for my attire, it's better to try and avatar yourself than an ugly troll face. edit: people do it for fun, no matter.
Nerath Naaris
Pink Winged Unicorns for Peace Love and Anarchy
#16 - 2013-09-27 20:23:17 UTC
The most important part of creating a name in Eve Online is that it does not begin with the letter A-E (or, God forbid, a number).
I learned THAT even before signing up.

Je suis Paris // Köln // Brüssel // Orlando // Nice // Würzburg, München, Ansbach // Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray

Je suis Berlin // Fort Lauderdale // London // St. Petersburg // Stockholm

Je suis [?]
Something Random
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#17 - 2013-09-27 20:37:13 UTC
*conclusion

Very few call themselves Chris, Derek, Samantha

Maybe its an answer ?

"caught on fire a little bit, just a little."

"Delinquents, check, weirdos, check, hippies, check, pillheads, check, freaks, check, potheads, check .....gangs all here!"

I love Science, it gives me a Hadron.
Robby Altair
#18 - 2013-09-28 20:59:46 UTC
Yeah, marketing will create a data point for anything. Big smile


Room 3420 Boelter Hall UCLA
stoicfaux
#19 - 2013-09-28 21:05:23 UTC
Do names matter when the servers shut down?

Pon Farr Memorial: once every 7 years, all the carebears in high-sec must PvP or they will be temp-banned.
Robby Altair
#20 - 2013-09-28 21:09:54 UTC
stoicfaux wrote:
Do names matter when the servers shut down?

Only your real name when the server hardware in bought on eBay. Twisted

Room 3420 Boelter Hall UCLA
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