Darcy Smith (Armello), the digital divide: classism in games & being "a good sport"

We’ve reached our fortieth episode this week, and like every week before it we’re exploring the world around gaming. Have you ever seen another player gloat about winning a match or display less than sporting behaviour?  We’re looking at when other players aren’t “good sports,” the sore losers and the arrogant winners. Is it just part of online culture, or should we be working together to encourage more civility in competitive multiplayer?

The last time we spoke to League of Geeks it was all the way back in episode 11, this time we’re joined by community manager Darcy Smith. Darcy was kind enough to talk to us about how LoG have made Twitch streaming a part of the way they work as a game development studio. We also brushed off the crystal ball and looked into the future of media and what part live streaming might play. You can watch League of Geeks do their thing over on http://www.twitch.tv/leagueofgeeks

Finally we’re talking classism and elitism in games. In days gone by a person’s gear was measured in hours play or skills earnt. With micro transactions becoming more prevalent, many new games are implementing systems that allow players to pay small amounts for a tiny leg up or cosmetic element. Do these boosts impact the way players interact with one another? Could a growing divide between the haves and have nots be moving in on our online worlds?

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