The 'achievement culture': gaming as work in Diablo III

• Author: Mihai Burlacu
• Position: Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 59-64

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 9 (58) No. 2 - 2016

THE “ACHIEVEMENT CULTURE”:

GAMING AS WORK IN DIABLO III

Mihai BURLACU1

Abstract: The dynamics involved in the development of Role Playing

Games (i.e. RPGs) were previously associated in digital anthropology with

the economic goals of the developers and producers (Rettberg, 2007, p. 24).

In this article, I reconsider the attraction that Diablo III is meant to engender

among players. I also review the features that transform this game from an

entertainment platform into a simulacrum that entails countless hours of

repetitive work. I conclude that Diablo III represents an elaborate metaphor

of achievement through work.

Key words: digital anthropology, digital culture, achievement system, webs

of significance.

1. Introduction

The dynamics involved in the development of Role Playing Games (i.e. RPGs) were

previously associated in digital anthropology with the economic goals of digital games

developers and producers (Rettberg, 2007, p. 24). In this article, I reconsider from a

cultural standpoint the attraction that Diablo III is meant to engender among players.

Blizzard offers players the illusion of becoming successful in ways similar to those

promoted in Western cultures. One of the results of this attraction is the provision of a

source of steady income for game developers. This became particularly apparent after

Blizzard had introduced seasons to the game in the patch 2.1. Each season lasts for

approximately three months and is comparable to the ladder system from Diablo II.

Overall, the game developers’ purpose is to introduce players into a world in which they

stay as long as possible, without being distracted by other virtual worlds.

The economic goals of game developers generally determine the way players engage with

computer games. As a result, games “are primarily entertainment products, not forms of

art” (Rettberg, 2007, p. 20). Diablo III was developed by Blizzard with a specific idea of

how to extract money from players and to encourage the development of a dedicated

community. In turn, the Diablo III community provides a reliable source of income for

the game’s producers.

As the business models of computer games have changed, the nature of reward systems

grew in complexity in order to further motivate players. Unlike the first ro le-playing games,

in Diablo III the quantifiable dimension of a player’s achievements includ es several

measurements that define his/her avatar: agility, armour, dexterity, intelligence, power,

mana, stamina etc. Furthermore, the completion of complex, often repetitive and time-

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, mihai.burlacu@unitbv.ro