Scientists Study Human Behaviour Through EverQuest 2

Scientists from the University of Minnesota claim that online communities are so large now that they can be studied just like that of any town or city, and the results are interesting.

Sony recently handed scientists three years of server log data from their MMO Everquest 2 for analysis of player behaviour. The scientists believe that the results show the way we view Social Sciences and the way they are studied is at the threshold of a massive change.

EQ2, which recently helped raise $20,000 for charity through player donations, has around 300,000 players with an average of 26 hours played per week. The server data studied by the university recorded every action performed in the game, and considersing EQ2's intense level of player involvement it therefore gave a good account of player behaviour. Read more about the study at ScienceCentric.com.