The Influence of the Magic Circle from Outside to Inside

Game designers often bring systems from the real world into games, making the game world a reflection of the real world.

Here, we take online games (multiplayer online games) as an example, focusing on how some systems in these games reflect the real world. The most common systems include the economy, social, and cultural systems.

In games, the economic system typically centres on player production and trading activities. Many games feature comprehensive trading systems that are often modelled after real-world economic structures. Therefore, when players engage in production or use the trading system, they often apply the economic knowledge they’ve accumulated in real life.

In most online games, game operators address illegal profit-making behaviours within the game, such as account bans. Some players may exploit illegal methods, such as credit card fraud, cheating software, or scripts, to acquire in-game currency or items and then exchange them for virtual goods. If left unchecked, these behaviours can significantly affect the in-game economy, causing abnormal fluctuations in prices. As a result, game operators often ban accounts involved in such activities.

The social aspects of a game are mainly reflected in the social systems. Players can use the game’s social system to communicate and form different types of social networks. Players often form teams to explore the game world, tackle dungeons, or complete quests. This team-based system is derived from real-world groups formed to achieve specific tasks or goals.

In-game guilds are a larger-scale social system, typically led by one or more players who are responsible for arranging guild activities and organising more complex and difficult tasks. The social system within a guild is similar to real-world organisations such as clubs or companies. In guild activities, players often, guided by the game designers, unconsciously bring real-world social practices into the game, forming a simulated real-world social system.

As a new form of art, games themselves belong to the category of cultural products. Broadly speaking, players’ participation in games is itself a cultural activity. The culture we discuss here primarily refers to the intellectual activities and products that are separate from the players’ game goals.

Many games offer players space for creativity and interact with real-world events during their operation, achieving mutual promotion. Apart from official activities, players also spontaneously organise real-world related cultural activities within the game.