Blodgett's model of protest and the EVE online Incarna demonstrations

Last year, when CCP games released the Incarna expansion to their popular MMORPG, EVE Online, they triggered a wave of protests unlike any the game world had previously seen.  The catalysts for the protests was CCP's decision to replace the old ship hangar interface with one where the player's avatar exited the ship and walked about the station.  This change was too graphically demanding on some user's systems, and interfered with their ability to play the game.  Exacerbating the situation was a new microtransaction model put into place by CCP, in which virtual clothes for avatars were being sold at exorbitant prices.  This played havoc with the in game currency and economy.

     The resulting protests were a unique and interesting event.  In And the Ringleaders Were Banned: An Examination of Protest in Virtual Worlds, by Bridget M. Blodgett, Blodgett classifies protests based upon their degree of virtualization, their legality, their cultural homogeneity, and the limits on participation.  The Incarna protests manifested in the form of violent in game riots.  Thousands of players swarmed two major trade hubs in the game, and proceeded to open fire on two large stations in game bearing large monuments.  The protest is interesting in two ways.  First, it was entirely legal, despite its potential to cause massive disruptions in the game.  The sheer number of players unleashing their weapons in the nodes, which were central trading hubs in the game world, caused large amounts of lag within those nodes.  At several points during the attacks, there were so many people in the zones in question, that other players trying to get in were locked out.  However, the world of EVE is one where the law is usually made by the one with the biggest guns, and in this case, everyone's guns were pointing in the same direction.  It was not a violation of the EULA for players to attack large NPC stations (though a single actor attempting to do so would accomplish little, and be in great peril besides), however, the unprecedented number of players acting in unison caused disruptions to the game's infrastructure.  As all protests occurred online, there were no real world authorities involved, and players had free reign to vent their rage in game.  Also interesting is the homogeneity and unity of purpose present amongst the players in what is otherwise considered to be one of the most merciless, dog-eat-dog MMO's in existence.  These protests forced CCP to do quite a bit of backpedalling, and to reconsider many features of the upcoming expansion.  They also serve to illustrate interesting aspects of Blodgett's models.