Analyzing player networks in Destiny

Destiny is a hybrid online shooter game which shares features with Massively Multi-Player Online Games and FirstPerson Shooters, and is the to date the most expensive digital game produced. It has attracted millions of players to compete or collaborate within a persistent online virtual environment. In multi-player online games, the interaction between the players and the social community that forms in persistent games, forms a crucial element in retaining and entertaining players. Social networks in games have thus formed the focus of research, but the relationship between player behavior, performance, engagement and the networks forming as a result of interactions, are not well understood. In this paper the first large-scale study of social networks in hybrid online games is presented. Working with a network of over 3 million players in Destiny, the social connections formed via direct competitive play are explored in three experiments focusing on the patterns of players who play with the same people and those who play with random groups, and how the differences in this behavior influences win/loss ratios in multi-player PvP matches, combat performance via kill/death ratios and the impact of clan membership on performance.