The Expansion of
Geek Culture
Alexis Zoe Waters
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Spring 2012
Introduction
I find myself in a new world, well there is no real new world in front
of me, just a bunch of pixilated images enticing me to continue to explore this
new environment. My avatar surveys the world I have entered and instantly I
feel as though I am a newborn wanting to get into everything. I become more familiarized
with how to control, alter, and explore the new world. I am unable to fight off
the urge to strip myself of the generic clothing generated to get you started
and begin to play dress up with my avatar. I ponder for a moment deciding
whether I want my avatar to reflect myself, or be something completely
spontaneous and new. After several moments of thought I decide to sport some
black leggings, a nice grey top, and of course long brown hair with bangs. My
avatar begins to transform from dull to having personality and life. Indeed,
Lexy Frequency becomes a representation of Alexis Waters. Confidence gives me
the courage to commence my second life.
In
a distant world not too much further away lives another avatar AureliaSky. She
is a warrior class who fights against evil and attempts to save her warrior
brothers. AureliaSky symbolizes a piece of who the user is, but she also
represents something new. She is not real, but in a sense is. Gaming and the
internet has enabled Lexy Frequency and AureliaSky to become more than just an
avatar on a computer screen or gaming console. These characters hold value to
their owners, and perhaps even become extensions of that person’s real life.
The video game
industry has grown tremendously over the last few years. Games are becoming
more interactive giving gamers the ability to customize and become their own
avatar. The games described above are Second Life and Forsaken World. These are
both virtual communities that harbors approximately fifteen million residents. Daniel anticipates
that by 2011 that number will jump to about one billion in the game Second Life.
Jones (2009), tells us that this is only about a decade after the World Wide
Web came into being (p. 264). Jones discusses the way in which Second
Life is meant to be understood. Second Life to Jones is a virtual reality
platform which allows users to completely immerse themselves in a brand new
world. This virtual environment Jones describes as “an environment that often
represents a disembodied second nature” (p.26). Bradzell & Odom
(2008) explain that Second Life allows avatars to have their very own spaces
and also allows them to be animated and come to life. These virtual bodies are
able to come to life because of the unlimited amount of movement that they are
able to have (p. 252). Jarvenppa et al. 2007 discusses how these virtual worlds
have received attention because they are becoming a place where people can
assume the identity of an avatar.
According
to data collected by NPD market researching group, video games grossed a total
of 10.5 billion dollars in 2009. This is a major increase from 4.6 billion in
the 1980’s (NPD market research group). Video games have gained more revenue
partly because of the rapid growth of internet and computer technology. These
enable virtual worlds to exist and individuals are able to take on identities
in avatar forms (Holzwarth et al. 2006). Video games are growing in popularity,
but also allowing gamers to play online with friends. Games such as Gears of
War 3, Borderlands, Mass Effect, Second Life and other multiplayer games give
gamers the freedom to choose who they play with, expand their gaming network,
and play in real time. The games also allow users to customize their characters
so that they are able to be something completely new, or reflect themselves. The
experience of playing with actual people, and being able to meet others with
common interest has caused gamers to expand networks. Now gamers not only meet
others during the game play itself, but they are also able to go on gaming
forums and have youtube channels that allow them to meet others and see what
the latest rage in gaming is.
These new advancements in gaming
technologies and the increased use of gaming communities allow gamers to become
even more involved in the gaming world. Despite these advancements, gamers are
becoming more integrated with the technology that they use. Gamers are
typically classified as socially awkward individuals who spend most of their
time playing video games. Many of the multiplayer games they partake in are
roleplaying games, which are known to impair players abilities to distinguish
reality from fiction (Abyeta & Forest, 1991). Klimmt, Hefner, &
Vorderer (2009) describe how role-playing video games serve as an apparatus for
changing gamers perceptions of themselves. The people playing roleplaying games
also find that games have three elements: the real world, structure of games,
and the imaginary world in the game. Gamers thus construct meaning on social
context and relationship development (Fine, 1983).
The idea that gamers are unable to
distinguish reality from fiction may not be new, but as technology advances the
line continues to blur. According
to Gefen and Ridings (2006) it is essential to understand why communities are
built in these virtual environments. These scholars stress the main motivation
behind the foundation of these communities is to promote information exchange
as well as create new friendships (Gefen & Ridings, 2006; Jordan, 1999; Cui
et al, 2009). While many scholars encourage these types of virtual
environments, according to Rak (2009) these types of environments can even be
used to solve particular crimes, it is important to understand the dangers that
come from the rise of these virtual games (p. 161).
Rak touches on some of these issues by posing the question on how one forgets
their real being (p. 148). Rak describes our identities online to be separate
entities than those offline. The explanation Rak provides is that in real life
we are unable to alter ourselves in drastic ways. Once something is done or
appears a specific way in our real lives that is how it will remain; whereas,
on online formats we are able to edit and create something entirely new
(p.158). This is very similar to real experiences by avatars provided by Martin
& Waskul. Jason Hawking, an avatar who is 34 from New Jersey, described sex
on second life to “feel more free to do things you wouldn’t normally do… things
you might not do in real life” (p 27).
People feel comfortable expressing themselves on the
internet. Steward (2006) describes how communication is a collaborative, but
complex process that requires both verbal and non-verbal meaning-making. Gamers
may not always have non-verbal communication, but through with the ability to
hide behind an avatar, and manipulate their actions it becomes easier for many
gamers to communication. If the purpose of communication is to create meaning
with others to make sense, then the internet provides a place for those who
struggle to communicate with others. This may cause users to feel more
connected with their internet selves and blur the line between avatar, online
persona, and offline, persona. This study aims to understand how gamers make
sense of their avatar selves, online selves, and offline selves by analyzing
how they communicate on each.
Below is a helpful link that
describes how internet advancements have created an online-offline identity
conflict. The link below argues that we have always struggled to understand our
own identities, and the internet has made our search more complex. The internet
allows us to have different persona’s, and gaming community does this as well
through gameplay, posting on forums, and having their own exclusive youtube
channels. The article also mentions twitter and facebook, which gamers also use
to keep in touch with what is going on in the video game industry, as well as
marketing themselves to others as a “geek” or “gamer”.
Another link provided, similarly touches on the same sorts of themes. The
debate about online persona vs. offline persona continues to be the center of
identity research. The article introduces different ideas behind internet and
identity. One that I found particularly interesting was the “it’s just a game”
subheading. The article discusses how people view the internet or playing games
online as just being games. They believe that they are able to put the game
down and forget about it. Users believe that their online and offline identity
are not in tune with one another. Gamers are embedded in their virtual worlds
by linking themselves with avatars, gaming twitter profiles, gaming forums, and
youtube channels. It is important to understand how players view themselves in
different contexts to understand the communication patterns behind this largely
growing group.
Method
To
understand my own culture I integrate personal experiences with playing games,
posting on gaming forums, and interactions off mediated formats. Prior to the
internet gamers spent their days playing alone or with friends physically
playing games by their side. As technology has advanced gamers are now offered
an array of ways to game and meet people with common interests. This has caused
a rift in how gamers view themselves on and offline and how it influences
gaming experiences.
I
have consistently maintained an interest in all aspects of the gaming culture
throughout life. Personally, I have played games from ages 7 to present. Before
I was able to find others who were fans of sega gensis, sonic the hedgehog, and
have friends to play with I found myself needing to communicate with people at
school, social events, and through networks. When the internet and computers became
embedded in our society I was able to access forums, gaming websites, and play multiplayer
games. According to Creswell (2007) the ability and access to information that
I possess plays an important role in ethnography. I am a part of the
communities, but I also am able to access the information because of the
internet. It serves as the primary source for this study.
Data
Collection. To gather data about the gaming communication I used
triangulation to understand three different elements to online persona,
character persona, and offline persona. I began by searching for different
gaming forums and youtube video of people describing how they act in person vs.
online. There were two forums that were used as primary sources for these. One
is a forum that I frequent called Destructoid. Destructoid was built by gamer
Niero who felt that the gaming industry did not allow real gamers to discuss
their own ideas on video games. Destructoid was founded on March 2006 in San Francisco,
California. Neiro built a community where normal, everyday gamers could come
and discuss ideas and upcoming games. Mr. Destructoid is the mascot and is used
to symbolize the forums and community. Many users on these forums meeting one
another at different gaming events, and sometimes dress as Mr. Destructoid. The
thread that was used can be located here http://forum.destructoid.com/showthread.php?14351-How-Much-Does-Your-Internet-Persona-Reflect-The-Real-You. This forum has a very distinct way of
communicating amongst themselves and is geared towards a vast variety of games.
The forums are open and accept all types of gamers. You do not have to pay for
an account here, and there are many different places that users can communicate
to feel welcome.
The next forum I used was a forum called
FFXIAH. It is a forum gears towards a specific game genre called Final Fantasy.
FFXIAH was founded around 2003 in California. The creators go by their online
usernames of Scragg and Jareik. The link to the thread can be located here http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/29698/internet-persona.
These forums are different than Destructoid because you must play the game
Final Fantasy 11 to be welcomed on the forums. You are also ranked based on
your level and avatar in the game.
I also used two youtube videos I found
that reflect both online and offline arguments. The first video is of a girl
who argues that she is the same online as offline. The video is located above.The next video is of a male who claims that he is the same online, but
acknowledges that not everyone is the same online as offline, especially in the
gaming community. The video is located below
Finally, I looked at various youtube
channels that involved gameplay to look and see if people mentioned anything
while playing games about their avatars. There were several different channels
that were used to see how people spoke during gameplay. This analysis was done
after themes were presented to see how this data related to the data collected
on the forums, and was compared to the other youtube channels that discussed
online vs. offline persona specifically.
Themes
When analyzing all three forms of
data for patterns some prevalent themes emerged. Data showed that there was a
mix between gamers who believed that their character, online, and offline
persona were the same and those that felt they were different. Some gamers
believed that their online persona was an extension of their offline persona,
and that the two could not be separated. There were also different ways that
gamers felt the communicated on different platforms. Themes were categorized,
using evidence found from all three sources. The themes that emerged from this
study include: (1) level of how mean, (2) amount of vulgarity, (3) shyness, (4) funniness/humor,
(5) outgoing, (6) easier to communicate. How many gamers said they were the
same, different, and no difference in offline and online persona were also
counted. Each of these was found in how gamers communicated offline and online.
Pie charts were used to represent the data graphically.
Destructoid offline vs.
online persona:
Level of how mean:
users reported that they felt they were more or less mean online or offline. The
data shows that on average Destructoid users were more mean offline than
online. On Destructoid, thirteen users reported being meaner offline, while
only 8 reported being meaner online. Below are comments regarding level of
meanness perceived by forum goers.
“I'm less of an ass IRL and for the most
part, optimistic.”-Sam Spectre
Amount of vulgarity:
users on destructoid also mentioned how many profane words they used online.
Offline five users reported swearing, while online only three users reported
swearing. There was not a significant difference between offline and online on these
forums. There were very few who reported on this theme.
“For whatever reason I don't cuss as much
online as I do in real life, and I don't go for a joke as often.”-ZombiePlatypus
“I swear more in real life. Online I can get
away actually making proper sentences.”-Ali D
“I also swear a lot more in real life, for
whatever reason.”-Doos
Shyness:
on
Destructoid sixteen users reported being shy offline, while only five reported
being shy online. Users who reported feeling shy also said it was easier to
talk online than it was offline. Below are comments made on the forum regarding
shyness.
“I am
less outgoing in real life. I'm worse with words in actual discussion too.” –Dexter 345
“Around
people I don't know well I tend to clam up and be shy/awkward. Not only am I a
shy person by nature, but I worry about offending people.”-ZombiePlatypus
“I don't
really know. I'm very outgoing, in real life, but probably more work-orientated.”-Xhumation
Funniness/Humor:
four users on Destructoid forums described being funny offline, but only one
user said they were funnier online. There was not a significant difference
here.
Outgoing:
two
users said that they were more outgoing offline, while four said they were more
outgoing online. People seemed to be very similar offline and online in this
theme.
“I don't
really know. I'm very outgoing, in real life, but probably more work-orientated.”-Minxxx
“Maybe a
bit more outgoing and vivacious IRL, but I think that's kind of normal.”-Godstars
Easier
to communicate: no users on Destructoid said that they
found it easier to communicate offline. This was significantly different from
the twenty eight users that said it was easier for them to communicate online
than it was offline.
“I'm
pretty much the same only slightly less articulate and verbose.”-Technophile
“I tend
to write very well online, for the most part, but in real life I'm terrible at
talking, and when I get nervous or upset I stutter.”-Buddah
“I'm pretty much the same only slightly less articulate and verbose. This. It's much easier to
type a well thought out response than it is to speak it. You can adjust it
until it's just right.”-Intruder
“I talk a
lot less IRL, but I say the exact same things, when I do.”-Phantomile
“ I guess I don't even try to be myself,
I hide behind my stupid avatar and a pseudonym. It's easy to be social here
than in real life. “-ZombieLifeCoach
“IRL I
wouldn't say I'm shy, but I just never really talk to people that much until I
get more familiar with them, but since this is a forum and talking is kinda the
point I'm more inclined to converse with strangers and people I barely know.”-Gatsby
"In a place like this
though, we're all gamers . We don't really have to hide anything
about ourselves, because one, we're more or less anonymous, and
two, like I said we're all gamers here. Here I can talk about anime and RPG's
that I love, but I'm too embarrassed to talk about it with my
other friends."-Gatsby
"Truthfully, I wish I
could be a little more like how I am on the internet, in raelity. Unless I'm
with well-known friends or family or acquaintances, I'm actually rather
quiet" Princess Megatron
“I am less outgoing in real life. I'm worse with
words in actual discussion too. Much less eloquent.”-Serpentish
“I can be
a lot quieter in person, harder to get your word in when it's not being typed.”-Tarvu
Pie
chart:
Destructoid
online vs. offline persona chart:
Same
online as offline: Fourty-three users on destructoid said
that they were the same online as they were offline.
I'd like
to think that I'm pretty similar in real life-Andrew Kauz
“I'm
pretty much the same on the internet as I am in real life.”-MatthewBlake
“I am the
same person irl as here”-Cole1114
“I'm
basically the same here as I am offline.”-Gatsby
"I'd say I'm the same
person both in reality and online. There is no other me"-Zombieplaytpus
“I'm basically the same here as I am offline. “ Norm9
“Like everyone else, pretty much the same, except I don't bring up the
fact that I write essays on the symbolism in SNES games in real life ;P”-Scary
Womanizing Pig Mask
“I'm
pretty much the same IRL as I am online”-Nikmonroe
“I think
I'm pretty much the same here as I am in person, but since you are usually just
responding to a topic I'm more likely to give an honest response here.”-Zodiac
Eclipse
“I think
I'm exactly the same online & IRL”-N7
“I spend
most of my time on the computer, which essentially when I'm not working IS my
life. Which makes this an incredibly difficult question to answer.”-Neonie
“People
pretty much say I'm the same person. I can't tell myself. I'll have to take
their words for it.”-the Golden Avatar
“I don't
know if I'm that much different on the net than I am on the internet.”-Godstar
Different
online and offline: Only eight users on Destructoid
reported being different online than offline. This shows a significant
difference in how users view themselves both offline and online.
“I'm
pretty different online. I tend to express myself more poorly online and I'm
less interesting. I'm also less drunk online.”-Harris Bueller
“I'm the
opposite of Aurain.”-Aurain
There
is no difference online and offline: Some users on
Destructoid described how they felt as though there was no difference between
online and offline. That it was an extension and part of their identity.
Thirteen users described feeling this way, or reporting that it was too
difficult to answer. The idea that users are embedded with their online selves
was an interesting concept and description found by users.
“Also, my
avatar is me. Clearly.”-Gatorsax2010
“I am my
avatar.”-Gyrael
“I'd
probably go as far as saying that the internet me is more real than the real
life me.”-Leiden
“Also, my
avatar is me. Clearly.”-Phantomile
"My avatar is a
symbol of hope, which in real life I often lack. I guess my avatar reflects
more of a desire than an actual reality"-Xhumation
“I'm
pretty much a sarcastic asshole IRL too. And my avatar is me. :D”-Shinryu
“I would say that I am pretty dead on with my
bad internet self.”-Mix
FFXIAH offline vs.
online persona:
Level of how mean:
two users on FFXIAH reported being meaner offline than they were online. Only
one user reported meaner online. These results are similar to how Destructoid
users reported, and were not very significant.
“I mostly won't really show it if I am angry or upset
online.”-Liela
Amount of vulgarity:
there were no reports of vulgarity on FFXIAH
Shyness:
Fourteen users on FFXIAH said that they were shyer offline than online. No
users reported feeling shyer online. Users who reported feeling shy, also
reported that it was easier to talk online. This is similar to what Destructoid
users reported.
“I have a
crippling shyness, and have a hard time talking to people, especially face to
face.”-Magnuss
“Im a more shy/serious
person in public and like to avoid potentially embarassing situations.”-Daus
“I'm rather shy if I'm not
around friends irl.”- Dameshi
“I am shy and quiet irl
with most people lol few people see me rant and be lame and silly :P i tend to
stutter and talk too fast so not everyone can understand me if they arent used
to me lol”-Chuuuuu
“It's safe to say that
It's a lot easier to come out of your shell on the internet.. Personally I find
myself shy and not as out going as I'd like to be when I first meet people and
I'm sure its the same for lots of people on these forums”-Kungg
“ I'm quiet in real life, but it's
because I have Social Anxiety Disorder. Talking to people I don't know
terrifies me greatly.”-Tsuneo
“I'm a bit more shy irl,
but otherwise pretty much the same person”-Kvazz
Funniness/Humor:
nobody reported feeling differences in funniness online vs. offline on FFXIAH.
Outgoing:
on FFXIAH three users reported being more outgoing offline and only one
reported being more outgoing online. There was not a significant finding here.
“I'm pretty
out going myself, I don't mind talking or meeting new people.”-Skarwind
Easier
to communicate: Fourteen users reported that it was
easier to communicate online on FFXIAH, while only three users reported that it
was easier to talk online than it was offline. There is a significant
difference between users ability to communicate online vs. offline. These
findings are similar to what users reported on Destructoid.
“I think my
only difference is that typing versus speaking allows you to plan out your
words a little better.”-Zicdeh
“I'm more talkative online
than I am in public.”-Raenil
“I feel like i'm much more
outgoing and talkative online.”-Keyera
“Biggest difference: online
I talk.”-Sehachan
“I rarely talk in real
life, but people say I talk too much in game.”-Tsuneo
Pie
chart:
FFXIAH
offline vs online persona chart:
Same
online as offline: on FFXIAH, there were fifteen users who
reported that they were the same both online and offline. These findings relate
to Destructoid users, because they both have a significant amount of users who
believe they are the same online vs. offline.
“I'm
basically the same online or off.”-Nightfrye
“I'm just like this in
real life, but with an addendum.”-Magnuss
“With family/friends Im as
loud and dorky as I am online.”-Daus
“Pretty much the same in
person and online.”-Drokin
“Yeah I'm about the same.”-Zeota
“well, I suppose my
internet persona is just as shy as my real life one.”CombatMojo
“Oh I'm the same, except
whereas in real life I have things I say out loud and things I say in my head,
online it all comes out.”-Terminus
“I'm about who I am online
irl.”-Sawtelle
Different
online and offline: Two users on FFXIAH reported that they
were different offline than they were online. Not many felt as though they were
the same on both forums, showing that the two pieces of data correlate in some
way.
There
is no difference online and offline: There were two users
who reported that their avatar was who they were or an extension of themselves.
"I think everyone, at
their core, is at least similar to the way they present themselves in
an impersonal forum (like this)." –Schutz
“So I played upon them, even embellishing them, essentially
creating a character (or caricature) of myself. Eventually, I went by this name
and persona for a number of YEARS online”-Justice Reborn
Youtube
channel analysis: Youtube channel gamers also reported
feeling as though they were the same offline and online. There were some that
reported being different, but overall they felt they were the same. Many
youtube users reported that they themselves were the same, but felt that other
users may not be the same online and offline. During gameplay, gamers tended to
speak more about the games and less about themselves. In MMO’s users preferred
to be referred to by their avatar’s names rather than their own. Many MMO
players say that they are their MMO character, solidifying that argument that
users feel the same or embedded in their online self. Their online self
essentially reflects their offline self, making the two interchangeable and a
part of one another.
Discussion
The gaming industry has grown
tremendously over the last several years because of technology that allows
gamers to expand their networks. As the industry continues to grow and
technology advances gamers will have many more options on how they game. Gamers
are able to customize avatars, play online, and be active in different
communities that cater to their gaming interests. This has made the experience
of gaming, online, and offline mesh into one another, blurring the lines of
reality and identity. Gamers now have become so integrated in their games that they
report feeling as though it is a part of who they are.
There are clear patterns that
emerged from the data. More gamers reported feeling that they were the same
online and offline for both forums and gaming channels. This was significantly
different from those who reported being different. This shows that gamers are
becoming more connected with their games, and online persona’s. Some users even
reported feeling as though their online persona is just an extension of
themselves. Gamers are becoming more embedded and integrated with their games.
It has become not just a game, but a part of their identity. There were some
users who believed they were different, but based on the data collected most
users felt as though they were the same.
An interesting observation from the
emergent data is how users reported feeling online vs. offline. Many users
reported feeling as though they were the same offline vs. online, but described
different qualities they possesses offline vs. online. Many users on both
forums and youtube channels believed that it was easier to communicate offline vs.
online, while still reporting that they were the same offline vs. online. Though
they claimed that they were the same both online and offline, they still felt
as though they were able to communicate more openly and freely online. This
suggests that there may be some differences in the ways they communicate both
offline and online. This may explain why some users believed that their online
self was an extension of their offline self. They are generally the same online
and offline, but their identities shift slightly depending on where they are
communicating.
Limitations
The findings clearly show that
patterns did emerge from that data that was collected. Though findings were
strong, there are still limitations that come with the present study. There are
many gaming forums that gamers are able to go on. This study found two forums
that had already asked the question I was searching to answer. I was unable to
find other forums asking a question similar to what I was trying to explore. If
I were able to obtain IRB approval for this study I would be able to ask the
question on many different forums and see if the themes still exist among a
bigger sample size. If I were to do
this, the answers may not be as genuine as the ones that I found on the forums
that had already asked the questions. The question becomes difficult to pose to
gamers. Future study could include many forums to see if they follow the same
pattern.
Another limitation to the study is that
there were many different gamers involved. The people on the youtube channels
were not the same users on forums. The data collected is from a very diverse
group of gamers, and it might be beneficial to follow the same people on all
three platforms I have used for this study. To do this it may be beneficial to
select users to answer questions about all three. Interviews thus would serve
as a beneficial method for future research. For the purposes of this study
demographics were not focused on. The forums and youtube channels focused on
were primarily male, but demographics, such as age and gender, were not focused
on. It would be beneficial for future research to look at the demographic
information to see how it potentially ties in. This research has a strong
foundation to help further build a growing field in media studies and video
game research. It provides strong evidence that gamers often blur the lines
between online and offline persona. Their avatars may be what serve as an
intermediary for this. Future research should focus on looking at gamers
playing and communicating with them in the actual game for more concrete
evidence.
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