After discussing network games and communication I began to wonder if player access to communication may negatively impact the games community. During class we had a few example of video games that limited the players ability to exchange information while promoting a positive connection between players. These games ranged from Jason Rohrer's "Between", which offered no direct communication to the other player, and "One hour One life" where communication is heavily relied upon. How does the communication in these games compare to the communication between players using audio as a medium rather than text or nothing at all.
How players chose to communicate can alter the tone of game play for one another. "Between's" system of communication makes it difficult for the player to participate in negativity and harassment. The nature of "Between" also does not reward a player to sabotage their partner's game of they left. In "One hour One life" this is less the case. "One hour One life" the player must depend on other players to learn about the game and to progress leaving two outcomes: the player is cared for or abandoned. The 'older' players in the session have nearly complete control over the next players game play. With this known control and their set goals these characters have the ability to kill new players, steal supplies, and speak through a chat log. Despite this level of control the chat does not turn toxic. Perhaps it is because the time sensitive aspect of "One hour One Life" that prevents players from deviating too far from there own goal of survival. This would make sense in comparison to "Call of Duty" (CoD) which has one of the most toxic chat communities. In CoD, there are no long term goals and only quick matches creating a lack of accountability for griefing players. This paired with the ability to easily vocalize your thoughts to other players assist in a toxic player community. I am aware that there are many other factors for toxic communities, but I believe that communication medium can alter the tone of game play.