The meaning of the experience of being an online video game player

Online video games contain a variety of features that facilitate or encourage social interaction among game players. We explored the meaning of the experience of online game playing, seeking to uncover the personal meanings that game players ascribe to their online gaming experiences. Guided, semi-s...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Kelly Arbeau, Cassandra Thorpe, Matthew Stinson, Benjamin Budlong, Jocelyn Wolff
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Elsevier 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/38a1573635b448c0b15620977264e63a
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Online video games contain a variety of features that facilitate or encourage social interaction among game players. We explored the meaning of the experience of online game playing, seeking to uncover the personal meanings that game players ascribe to their online gaming experiences. Guided, semi-scripted personal interviews were conducted with 16 participants aged 17 to 34. A psychological-phenomenological analysis of participant narratives was conducted following procedures set out by Giorgi (2009). Four descriptive themes were identified: social rewards, experiential enhancement, growth and identity, and tension reduction. Participants described online gaming as an overwhelmingly positive, rewarding experience shaped by their social interactions with others in the game. We propose that as games offer more and more options for positive social interaction, concerns about detrimental effects of online video games may be attenuated.