Monster Hunter 4: why some video game communities are friendlier than others

While many huge multiplayer games are hives of abuse and recrimination, Monster Hunter maintains a supportive and fun community. How?

Like many gamers, I've recently become utterly engrossed in the role-playing adventure, Monster Hunter 4. It's a challenging and demanding title that encourages shared experiences via its excellent co-op mode where people hunt monsters together in small groups.

What I have most enjoyed - and been pleasantly surprised by - is how friendly and helpful the community is. As an online moderator, I've spent years dealing with abusive, disruptive and aggressive individuals. I've noticed, however, that some games seem largely free of the griefing, anger and intolerance that sometimes feels ubiquitous. I started to wonder why that was. What makes certain games more likely to attract friendlier communities?

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