Gamers hold online funerals
The level of camaraderie and co-operation that goes into lengthy MMORPGs (or ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games’) can turn virtual relationships into real ones and can make the loss of a fellow gamer very painful.
Authors of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Gaming the Mind blog told the Independent: “Players will find a sense of closure from online death rituals which they would otherwise not experience.
“The offline death rituals may be physically impossible to attend, and may be limited to close friends and family. Online mourning offers the community, who knew the deceased within the game, an opportunity to hold a similar service with carried-over rituals from the offline world.”
One example given was from Final Fantasy XIV – players gathered to pay their respects for player Codex Vahlda. Standing side by side, the group of friends gathered at a beach in the game, spelled out the name ‘Codex’ on the messaging system and put on a light show.
Another example came from the space based game EVE Online, where players use the code ‘07’ as a virtual salute in a final sign of respect.
This, according to experts, can help people recover from grief that is far from virtual.
Tags: community, digital, games, gaming, mourning, online, RPG