Gamer Identity Research Articles

The Effect of Shame in Moderating the Gamer Identity: The Communication Ecology on Identity and Involvement

The Effect of Shame in Moderating the Gamer Identity: The Communication Ecology on Identity and Involvement

The construction of gamer identity in narratives about video game playing and formal education learning experiences

This study investigates how video game play influences gamers’ formal education through perceptions of their ‘gamer’ and ‘learner’ identities. Based on identity foundation in symbolic interactionism, we take gamer and learner identities as meaning structures with both dynamic and stable dimensions. The basis of this gamer identity perspective is identity has a crucial role in investigating learning. Applying a life history approach, we interviewed 10 participants in one-to-one interviews, with three interviews for each participant. Applying the narrative portrait, we analysed participant data. We found that gamer identity construction from video game playing, as a vital meaning structure, has four main aspects, namely in-game identification, social community expansion, restorative effect and meaning recognition, providing gamers with expansive ways to build learner and personal identity as that can benefit their formal education.

Nationalized anti-feminism: A collusion between nationalism and gender-equal sexism

The COVID-19 crisis has led to a global resurgence of nationalism, which can be observed from major political events like presidential elections to everyday culture such as video games. In a recent online debate over sexualized female characters, Chinese male gamers excessively incorporated nationalist discourses to justify their anti-feminist arguments. Their discursive campaign provides an opportunity to explore the rising nationalist sentiment in the post-pandemic era and the linkage between nationalism and sexism as well. This study analyzed male players’ online posts and generalized their discursive strategies – the true gamer identity, anti-political correctness rhetoric, and the gender antagonism accusation – to incorporate nationalist discourse to make their anti-feminist arguments more persuasive and subtle. The study also explains how this anti-feminism fits in with frames of gender-equal sexism, and how the findings can help understand information interpretation tactics employed by misogynists.

Threat and Enhancement

Abstract: Advancing hypotheses derived from social identity theory, we investigated the influence of gamer identity affiliation on affective responses to identity threats and enhancements. Participants viewed a message that either devalued (i.e., threatened) or elevated (i.e., enhanced) the status of gamers when associating them with a mass shooting event. Relative to a control condition that neither threatened nor enhanced identity, our data demonstrated that gamer identity affiliation moderated affect. Specifically, greater gamer affiliation increased negative affect experienced after a threatening message. By contrast, greater gamer affiliation increased positive affect and reduced negative affect experienced after an enhancement message. Analyses of participants’ emotional reactions to the messages revealed that individuals with stronger gamer identity affiliation reported relatively more homogeneous emotions relative to individuals less affiliated with gamer identity. We discuss these response patterns with respect to how emotions may shape intergroup interaction in online communication.

Cultural diversity in semi-virtual teams: A multicultural esports team study.

How does cultural diversity influence the performance of semi-virtual teams? We use the prism of esports and insights from virtual identity research and social categorization theory to determine the effect on semi-virtual teams in which member interaction is not necessarily mediated or constrained by physical world sociocultural norms. The common ground that has developed in esports results in a superordinate, culture-free gamer identity that transcends the virtual and physical worlds, and thus multicultural teams can enjoy the benefits of diverse knowledge without suffering unduly from social disintegration when gamer identity is salient-a reality challenged less in the virtual world than in the physical one. We conduct an empirical study using data from 4035 League of Legends games played by 102 multicultural teams from 2017 to 2020. Our results show that cultural diversity improves the quality of team strategy when gamer identity becomes more salient, and that that may come about when players are intensely exposed to the game world, when they play with many different virtual characters, and when they play at home court.

Gamer Identity: How Playing and Gaming Determines How Those Engaged in Gaming See Themselves

The issue with gamer identity has been troubling researchers for the last decade. Despite trying to assign different parameters such as time spent playing, individuals themselves do not identify along such lines and the reasons why one person defines themselves as a gamer and another does not have not been clear. The goal of this paper to demonstrate, by applying B. Suits ontology of games and understanding identity in accordance with H.-G. Moeller’s concept of profilicity as a form of identity construction, the existence of two separate constructs of the gamer label. To demonstrate this, a series of interviews were conducted with two groups of people engaged in gaming: those who sought fun and those that desired winning. Both groups show clear differences in self-identification with their identity and the observed differences explain inconsistencies and issues observed by prior studies. Playing for fun is a factor that acts against seeing oneself as a gamer while playing to win is a factor inducive towards identifying as a gamer. Those that seek winning are likely to seek validation of their identity by comparing themselves to known gamer influencers while those that prefer playing over gaming will construct their definition of a gamer in an authentic manner.

Stereotype content of players of violent and non‐violent games

Since the introduction of commercial video games in the 1970s, video game players have attracted the perhaps undeserving but negative stereotype of being unpopular and socially dysfunctional. However, with gamers increasing in numbers that now reach billions worldwide, the contents of gamer stereotypes may be in flux. The current study investigated the content of gamer stereotypes along the dimensions of physical/social attractiveness, warmth, competence, and morality as a function of genre violence level and gamer identity. Male and female participants (656 U.S. and 428 Indian) completed an online survey on the MTurk platform, rating social stereotypes of gamers in high‐violence and low‐violence genres on 22 adjective pairs and answering questions about gamer identity. Results revealed positive gamer stereotypes, especially in the low‐violence genres in both the United States and India. Low‐identifiers' stereotypes were less favourable in the high‐violence than in the low‐violence genres; this tendency diminished among high‐identifiers. This study suggests that, whereas once gamers were seen negatively, they are now seen remarkably positively. The implications of such positive views of those engaging in violent gaming are discussed.

Connecting Spaces: Gender, Video Games and Computing in the Early Teens

Informed by evidence that computing attitudes may be uniquely constructed in informal contexts and that the early teens are a key period for academic decision-making, we investigate lines of practice that connect computing skills, attitudes, and videogames. We compare the relationship between computer skill, computer efficacy, and activities associated with gaming using a data set of 3,868 children in middle school. The time that children spend gaming has very modest association with skill and efficacy. Accounting for the frequency with which children modify games, engage in social gaming activities, and the salience of gamer identity explains the gender gap in computer skill and significantly narrows the gender gap in computer efficacy. We find support for the argument that computer skill and efficacy are dependent on children connecting often isolated social contexts, a socially embedded characteristic of the digital divide.

The gamer identity scale: A measure of self concept as a video gamer

Research examining video game players from a psychological and behavioral perspective is prominent however there is still a need to better distinguish casual from serious video game players (i.e., gamers). The present research developed a nine-item scale for assessing the extent to which an individual self-identifies as a gamer and tested the scale with variables of interest. Professors involved with a university esports program and athletes from a university esports team developed a list of 18 items portraying aspects of a gamer identity (e.g., self-concept, social group membership, role performance). These items were included in a larger survey completed by 591 frequent video game players. Using established methods, the nine item, single factor, “Gamer Identity Scale” was developed and determined to be valid and reliable. Using t-tests, ANOVAs, and multiple regression, the Gamer Identity Scale was tested against variables common to the gaming literature. Using the new scale, gamer identity was significantly and positively related to behavioral intentions (i.e., intentions to play video games, interact with gamers, watch streaming video games), time spent playing video games, esports team membership, and age. Gamer identity was not related to gender, race, ethnicity, or money spent on video games. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Gendering Identity Talk: Gamers’ Gendered Constructions of Gamer Identity

ABSTRACT Despite comprising roughly half of the gaming population and engaging in similar activities, women remain marginalized in gaming spaces. Previous scholarship has shown how cultural and subcultural gender conventions can serve to reproduce gender inequality in a range of social contexts. This article examines how video gamers used identity talk to gender themselves through the telling of self-narratives. Players represented themselves as gendered through narratives of play, framing similar gaming behaviors as either masculine or feminine. This retelling of gaming practices was rooted in larger, cultural meanings of gender, and in repackaging their gaming in gender-congruent manners, gamers reproduced gender within gaming spaces. Ultimately, this research presents how gamers maintained gaming as a social space dominated by men through their reproduction of a gender order that valued men’s play and minimized women’s play.

To Be or Not to Be a Female Gamer: A Qualitative Exploration of Female Gamer Identity.

The literature on online gaming has generally focused on male gamers and has been dominated by negative aspects of gaming. The present study addresses the gender gap in this field by exploring experiences of female gamers further by unravelling several positive experiences alongside some potentially harmful tendencies connected to gaming, including female gamers’ wishes and ambitions for their future gaming. A total of 20 female adult gamers across Europe were interviewed and results were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (i) to be or not to be a (female) gamer; (ii) improving social skills and levelling up on mental health; (iii) not always a healthy escape; and (iv) there is more to explore. The present study is one of few empirical studies regarding the construction of self-image, and experiences of female gamers. It has showed participants have a history as gamers from adolescence, but still face problems derived from the stigmatised internal gender self-image. Externally, female gamer stigmatisation may result in sexism, gender violence, harassment, and objectification. Additionally, females may decide against identifying as gamers, engaging in social gaming interaction, or hold back from online gaming in general, thereby missing out on the opportunities for recreation as well as social and psychological benefits that gaming brings. There is, therefore, urgent need for more research and actions to promote change, equity, education, and security for female gamers as well as their male counterparts. Game developers would benefit from understanding this large gamer demographic better and tailoring games for women specifically.

Who Gets to Be in The Guild?

While media studies have frequently assessed the importance of representation, research in this area has often been siloed by institutional and methodological norms that define academics as “gender”, “race”, or “class” scholars, rather than inclusive scholars of all these and more. This paper thus responds to recent calls for more intersectional work by simultaneously addressing the overlapping representations of race, gender, and gamer identity, and their relation to Lorde’s concept of the mythical norm, in the popular webseries, The Guild (YouTube, 2007-2013). Via a detailed, inductive thematic analysis of the show’s two characters of color, Zaboo and Tinkerballa, we find a doubly problematic intersection between standard “gamer identity” tropes and gendered Asian/American stereotypes. The show forecloses on its potential to be truly diverse and reinforces the oppressive, marginalizing practices it tries to mock, suggesting that gaming culture will not change until we address its intersecting axes of power and exclusion. This research also demonstrates how the constructed identity of media audiences-- in this case, stereotypical “gamer” identity-- can exacerbate and reaffirm existing power disparities in representation. We suggest that media scholars remain attentive to the intersecting articulations of media consumer and individual identities in considering how representation can influence systems of inclusion and exclusion, as well as viewers’ lived outcomes.

A (Silent) Game of Words

When Jeremy Soule, composer for some of the most well-known video game franchises in the world such as Guild Wars and The Elder Scrolls, was accused of sexual misconduct by women in the gaming industry in 2019, the internet hosted reactions from several fronts. From questioning the victims’ credibility to taking a neutral position while waiting for further development, gamers and fans made use of digital platforms to express either concern, astonishment, or doubt; these reactions point to the significant symbolic capital that Soule possesses in the context of video game music. The Elder Scrolls franchise, and in particular Skyrim, is highly recognized for its soundtracks, and this franchise has given rise to the largest mods community to date. In previous research, I examined this mods community in order to consider music and sound in relation to immersion and modification in Elder Scrolls games. Since the data collected in that earlier research was limited to a time span until 2017, the recent developments concerning composer Jeremy Soule weren’t addressed in that earlier setting. However, these allegations were part of a larger phenomenon of awareness and public exposure of negative and abusive practices in several labor contexts in the video game industry, shedding some light on a much-needed discussion about sexism and mistreatment toward women and nonbinary professionals in these fields and raising some pertinent questions concerning users’ feedback and engagement. This article aims to discuss the possible impacts these accusations had on the relationship between Soule’s music and users in the mods community, including users’ overviews of their own personal affective engagement with the games, thus verifying the deep connection between music, interactivity, authorship and gamer identity.

An Exploratory Study of Predictors of Pre-Service Teachers’ Intention to Integrate Computer Games in Mathematics Education

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether specific attitudes and beliefs among pre-service teachers about the use of computer games in mathematics teaching and learning predict their intention to integrate computer games in future mathematics teaching. Data were collected via a questionnaire from 119 teacher education students in a mathematics methods class at a midwestern USA university. Findings indicate that previous experience of computer gaming, gamer identity, self-efficacy for computer game-based teaching, perceived educational benefits of computer games, and gender stereotypes about computer gaming were significantly related to intention to integrate computer games in future teaching. Multi-level linear regression analysis indicates that self-efficacy, perceived benefits and gender stereotypes did not explain significantly more variance in intention for game integration above and beyond that explained by previous experience of computer gaming and gamer identity. Gender and specialization of the preservice teachers were related to previous experience of computer gaming and gamer identity. The results and educational implications of the study for teacher education and policy making are discussed and limitations of the study are addressed.

Becoming a Gamer: Performative Construction of Gendered Gamer Identities

This article examines how women construct their gameplay identities in relation to the hegemonic “gamer” discourse. The article is based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with women who occupy central roles in the Finnish gaming industry. We deploy Judith Butler’s theorization of performative identity construction to examine how the women negotiate their identity in relation to the hegemonic gamer discourse, focusing on how they both embrace and resist the hegemonic, masculine constructions of gameplay. The study shows the dynamics surrounding the gamer identity. While women submit to the hegemonic gamer discourse, reproducing the masculine gamer notions to gain recognition as a viable member of the gameplay community, the study also identifies how subversive opportunities arise as the women deploy new, alternative versions of gamer identity. The hegemonic discourse is subverted through the identity position of tech-savvy, which departs from the masculine connotations.

Young female gamers: Their situation in the use of video games

Research on video games is presented as a current, innovative and constantly developing space. In order to explore video games from a Latin American and gender-based perspective to the discussion, this work focuses on proposing an initial analysis of the situation of young women players who participate in this activity either professionally or casually. This article is based on an exhaustive review of scientific articles and audiovisual productions related to this topic. The results have been divided into four subcategories: exclusion and gender stereotypes; gamer identity; participation of women in e-sports and women competitors in professional and casual teams and reception of the male hegemonic speech. Finally, some reflections and questions are discussed by the researchers, which aim to provide possible study routes in Latin American and local studies of video games.

Boys’ gaming identities and opportunities for learning

ABSTRACT This article addresses a gap in research about primary school boys’ identification as ‘gamers.’ Drawing on a survey of 318 Year 3 (7–8 years old) students, the research identified boys’ self-reported enjoyment for gaming, their frequency using digital devices, and their self-rated digital skills. Interviews with four boys from the survey also explored the lifeworlds of self-professed ‘gamers.’ Findings point to the salience of games for many boys’ emerging identities and the inter-related nature of their experiences. We argue that teachers can capitalise on the strength of video games to create ‘in-group’ cultures and communities of practice in their classrooms to support learning.

The well-being of gamers, video game players, and non-players

ABSTRACT The public, practitioners, and researchers often express concerns about the physical and behavioral well-being of people who play video games. Research generally fails to distinguish between people who play games and people who self-identify as gamers, so there is limited existing work on how gamer identity affects well-being. Using survey data from nearly 900 young adults collected in 2014 and 2015, this study compared people who do not play video games to self-identified gamers and other video game players on three measures of well-being: physical health, binge drinking, and aggressive behavior. Controlling for demographic factors and time spent gaming, gamers reported poorer physical health compared to non-players. Gamers were less likely to have engaged in binge drinking relative to non-players, an effect modified by self-esteem and social support. People who played games, but did not identify as gamers, did not differ from non-players on measures of well-being. There was no difference in aggressive behavior across player status. Hours played was not independently associated with measures of well-being. Supplementary analyses suggested a potential gendered relationship between player status and well-being. The study illustrated the theoretical and empirical relevance of respondent-selected gamer identity in contextualizing the purported relationship between video game play and well-being.

Corrigendum to “Balancing Gender Identity and Gamer Identity: Gender Issues Faced by Wang ‘BaiZe’ Xinyu at the 2017 Hearthstone Summer Championship”

Corrigendum to “Balancing Gender Identity and Gamer Identity: Gender Issues Faced by Wang ‘BaiZe’ Xinyu at the 2017 Hearthstone Summer Championship”

HYPE SOURCE: G Fuel’s Contemporary Gamer Persona and its Navigation of Prestige and Diversity

G Fuel, an energy drink marketed towards gamers, performs a ‘contemporary’ gamer persona to interact with its audience, drawing upon an array of gaming influencers to appeal to fans of these figures. Specifically, this contemporary gamer persona builds upon the ‘geeky’ male gamer identity that has been constructed by marketers and adopted by players, utilising elements of esport such as skilfulness and focus. However, this persona also reimagines the gamer identity in alternative ways, such as gaming as an athletic activity – one that requires much mental and physical energy—and as an activity that connects players to others, and is exciting and glamourous, evocative of the lifestyles of gaming influencers. Thus, the contemporary gamer persona signals that there has been a shift in the popular discourses surrounding the ‘gamer’ identity in specific gaming micro-publics. The energy drink company G-Fuel is aware of this shift and strengthens this persona by forming partnerships with gamer microcelebrities and influencers. In this article, we find that in G Fuel’s construction and maintenance of the contemporary gamer persona, they seek to appeal to the wider gaming audience, but must constantly negotiate a balance between popular but controversial influencers and a commitment to diversity learner personas playful identity performance game-based learning game-making live action roleplay