Gaming Community Research Articles

Религиозность в пространстве видеоигр

The study of video games in the context of religious studies of popular culture is one of the fastest growing fields. Here the interests of researchers of games, media, modern religious processes, youth and many other fields of research intersect. In this article we will turn to how the “effects” paradigm manifests itself in the field of video games, an approach to the study of popular culture through the prism of its influence on a person or society as a whole. Here the tradition of phenomenological and structuralist research turns out to be important, and the main conclusion is the danger, some destructive potential of games. The strong influence of video games on the minds is noted not only by researchers, but also by representatives of religious organizations that specifically create computer games for educational, missionary and, generally speaking, entertainment purposes.An alternative to such a focus is being sought and found by researchers from the interdisciplinary field of studying video games and religion, which is already developing in the 21st century. There is a study of communities of gamers, the narratives they create, and research from the field of social psychology and even aesthetics. Video games are no longer perceived only as a carrier of an idea that is potentially dangerous and has a one-sided impact on the consumer, but rather as a space of co-creation, interaction and active participation of all involved - the players, their environment, those who create the games. This field can be a source for new research in the field of contemporary religious processes.

Cyberspace Outlaws – Coding the Online World

Online gaming creates unique public spaces of interaction. These spaces are both highly controlled but also able to slip through the regulatory net, as domestic legislation struggles to respond to fast-changing interjurisdictional environments. Inter- and transdisciplinary research hold potential to respond to questions surrounding the regulation of these online spaces, by exploring multiple perspectives. The authors of this paper each come from a unique starting point in their exploration of these issues. The paper will examine three spaces of regulation in online game world environments. It will look at (1) rules and regulations that governs online interaction in virtual spaces, (2) the ‘code’ that controls behaviour through game architecture, and (3) the laws that are developed by players inside the game world. The first part will analyse whether domestic law can be adequate to regulate a space that is not geographically fixed. The second will discuss how the coding of the game and its architecture regulate behaviours within the space. The last is a “bottom-up” regulatory system, originating within the gaming community. Where do these three layers of regulation interact with each other? What are the unique languages of these spaces? This paper is a starting point for further investigation into the regulation of online behaviours through interwoven rule systems.

The Cake is Not a Lie: An Exploration of the Gamer Culture, Coping Methods, and Resiliency

ABSTRACT This study explored dynamics that would be beneficial to the counseling community in understanding gamers as a unique culture. In addition to descriptive variables that served the purpose of better understanding the culture and controlling for any extraneous influences, the focus was on gamer personality and motivation, coping strategies and resiliency. The potential relationship between gamer personality types and coping strategies were explored through comparisons of personality type and resiliency variables, along with an assessment of whether a person’s preferred coping methods mediated any relationship between personality and resiliency. Except for a moderate negative relationship between engagement style coping and resiliency, there was no significant relationship between personality type, coping strategy, and resiliency. However, as an exploratory study, interesting findings related to demographic variables were uncovered.

Gaming: Between Science and Media

This article continues the analysis of gaming from the perspective of I. Hoffman’s concept of everyday gaming. The referent social images formed in games and the emerging conflict between corporations and players are also considered. The work examines the situation that has developed in the Russian market, in particular, the bans on the part of Western corporations introduced in 2022 and Russian prospects for the formation of a full-fledged domestic gaming environment. The author notes that the gaming community has found itself being unprotected from the influence of corporations, social science is not able to comprehensively explain gaming as a specific social institution, and large-scale wars are unfolding in the information field for the possibility of broadcasting one’s own values. Gaming research is a new and promising direction for further research.

Invitations Within and Beyond the Fictitious World: An LDA Discourse Analysis of Female Game Preferences in Chinese CMC Forums

Throughout the conventionally masculine video game culture worldwide, the existing literature on video game preferences mainly focuses on the West, overlooking Chinese female gamers, who make up the largest female gamer population globally. This study aims to explore their preferences by analyzing responses from four female-exclusive video game forums. Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) Topic Model, 1321 responses were analyzed, extracting females’ preferences into six dimensions: characters, design, genre, narrative, engagement, and experience. This multifaceted research offers preliminary insights into female gaming experience. Our findings highlight the evolving portrayal and preference of game characters, a complex interplay between aesthetic appeal, genre, and the intriguing relationship between game narratology and empathy. The study further explores how narrative structures in video games can evoke empathy, and advance understanding of females’ engagement and flow experience in the virtual world, challenging conventional assumptions and expanding the understanding of player interaction with digital media.

The Barriers of Using Video Games as a Media for Teaching and Learning Purposes: A Case Study in Indonesia

The 21st century has seen the remarkable growth of the video game industry, which has surpassed other entertainment sectors in terms of financial value. The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized the importance of video games as a means of socialization and entertainment. However, despite their potential in education, the adoption of video games as a learning media faces numerous barriers. This study explores these barriers, particularly in the context of Indonesia, a country with a burgeoning video game culture. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys with stakeholders such as parents, teachers, students, and government officials. The findings reveal several key barriers to adopting video games in formal education in Indonesia. There is an inherent mistrust of video games among Indonesians, which makes the use of video games as a learning media challenging. There is a lack of video games designed for educational purposes suitable for Indonesia's formal education system. The lack of government support for video games as learning media also becomes an issue. We suggest collaboration between local game developers and education practitioners could help design video games that balance gameplay mechanics and educational content. Successful case studies of video games in education can potentially change negative perceptions among teachers, parents, and students. In addition, government support and recognition of video games as valid learning media are essential for wider adoption in Indonesia's formal education system. Future research should focus on developing and adopting video games specifically designed for educational purposes to address these barriers effectively

메타버스 젭(ZEP) 기반의 외국인 유학생 대상 영어 학습 모형 개발

The purpose of this study is to develop an English learning model for international students in Korea by implementing Korean cultural content in the metaverse. Since the majority of international students in Korea are from Asian countries, it is important to offer specialized courses for them. The English learning model consists of four modules for one semester, which use Korean cultural content to cover Korean gaming culture, Korean pop music and dance, Korean society and cultural heritage, and Korean traditional instruments and costumes. In addition, the Metaverse ZEP encourages student participation and academic achievement through various activities such as games, discussions, and presentations. Popular Korean cultural content, which is most preferred by international students, is used in the learning model to improve their English language skills and to learn about Korean culture. The study will provide new insights for developing customized English courses for international students.

REGISTER BAHASA SEBAGAI BENTUK BUDAYA KOMUNIKASI DALAM KOMUNITAS PEMAIN PUBG

Language register research can track the evolution of registers over time and changes in games or in their communities of players. Language registers can be found in any community, one of which is the PUBG player community. This research can provide a deeper understanding of how communication in the PUBG game environment creates a certain culture and norms among players. By understanding language registers, researchers can explore sociolinguistic aspects that create identity and togetherness in the gaming community. The aim of the first research was to find the language register contained in three videos with the same title belonging to the Milyhya channel entitled "Sebuah Candaan Jelek". Then, the second objective is to classify the language registers found into several register functions. The method used in this research is a qualitative descriptive method. The object of this research is the PUBG community in the video "Sebuah Candaan Jelek". The technique used by this researcher is the transcription/note taking technique which is used to record the results of the conversation. Based on the presentation of research results and discussion, it is concluded that there are three forms of register used by the PUBG community in the video "Sebuah Candaan Jelek” which includes the lingual form, the limited selingkung form, and the open selingkung form.

Gaming Race in Brazil: Video Games and Algorithmic Racism

This article argues that video games can function as a critical platform from which to intervene into the conjunction between embodied experiences of racialisation and the production of race as a category within the cybernetic forms of identification of platform capitalism. Through analysis of the role played by race in video game cultures in Brazil, I explore both the affordances of video games and the limitations of their use in the fight against the specific forms that racism takes in the digital age. I carry out an in-depth analysis of two recent games, Dandara (2018) and Mandinga (2021), which both construct powerful critiques of “algorithmic racism” in Brazil, by focusing on the relationship between their representation of race at the levels of narrative, plot, and imagery and the ways in which the player interacts with the games’ algorithms. While Dandara exploits tensions between the two to draw attention to the mix of authoritarian and “instrumentarian” (Zuboff) power in contemporary Brazil, Mandinga highlights parallels between its gameplay and the processes of racialisation to present algorithmic racism, which often goes unnoticed, as an act of violence that inherits some of the procedures of slavery and the social systems that perpetuated it.

Taking it to the extreme: prevalence and nature of extremist sentiment in games.

More than half of all game players report experiencing some form of hate, harassment or abuse within gaming spaces. While prevalence assessments of these actions in digital gaming spaces are ongoing, little remains known about the more extreme forms of these behaviors. Specifically, experiences of extremism. This paper addresses the gap in research knowledge around the expression of extremist sentiment in games by evaluating their prevalence, location, and nature, and impact. Assessing experiences via an online survey, game players (n = 423) reported an alarmingly high rate of frequency for being the direct target of, as well as a witness to, all forms of extremist content. Most of these experiences were text-based, reported to be happening in-game. Most players endorsed statements relating to a normalization of extreme ideologies within gaming cultures. It is promising that reporting these behaviors was the primary action taken by players for most of the players; however, "ignoring" these actions was also a common strategy. It is possible that player inaction reflects the embeddedness and normalization of these actions in gaming spaces and/or a lack of trust in moderation systems to be responsive. The prevalence of extreme sentiment in gaming cultures should raise concern from game makers, members of the gaming community, parents, and policy makers alike.

Bridging and Bonding: Exploring the Influence of Community-Level Networks on Product Innovation in Video Game Communities

Bridging and Bonding: Exploring the Influence of Community-Level Networks on Product Innovation in Video Game Communities

Influence of Online Gaming on Behavior of Gamers in Pakistan

This study reveals that online video games have emerged as a novel platform for social interaction, wherein numerous gaming options facilitate player’s competition and collective interaction within the virtual realm. Gamers have increasingly begun to form distinct virtual social communities due to the inherent capacity of these games to facilitate social networking in a multiplayer online setting. This phenomenon has given rise to a unique social dynamic among video game enthusiasts. The present study delves into an exploration of the social gaming behaviour exhibited by participants engaged in multiplayer online games. Additionally, it seeks to establish a correlation between virtual and real-world behaviours by examining the relationship between destructive and constructive social behaviours and the dominance and affiliation dimensions of social interaction. 
 Purpose: Online gaming has become a unique phenomenon among the young players with a significant influence on them. The basic objective of this study was to determine the social interaction caused by online gaming among young game players. This study conducted in Pakistani perspective has achieved the objections set to analyze the influence of online gaming and increased level of social interaction. 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: To conduct this investigation, an online survey was administered to individuals who regularly engage in multiplayer gaming activities and dedicate a substantial portion of their daily time to gaming. The study sample consisted of 200 gamers spanning an age range of 16 to 30 years.
 Findings: The results of this inquiry shed light on the prevalence of pro-social behaviour and anti-social behaviour, characterized by constructive and destructive actions among gamers, respectively. Furthermore, the study reveals that destructive behaviour negatively predicts affiliation, while constructive behaviour has a positive predictive influence on affiliation. Moreover, certain demographic variables, such as age and gender, exert a significant impact on the prediction of dominance within the gaming community. The findings of this study provide substantial support for the notion that virtual social interactions have a notable influence on real-world behaviours, underscoring the interconnectedness between the online gaming environment and broader social dynamics.
 Implications/Originality/Value: Online gaming has become a common practice not only among young adults but also among the minors. Thus, this phenomenon has reduced physical activities among the youth and even among the school going children. This study may provide an insight into the matter and possible appropriate recommendations as well.

STUDY REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF THE WILD ANIMALS POPULATIONS FROM SEACA HUNTING FUND (OLT COUNTY)

The prospects for game fauna, edible or non-edible, for game culture or just for bringing their populations under control, are only likely and different from species to species. The purpose of this paper is to follow the evolution of the populations of game fauna in the Seaca No. 4 Hunting Fund (Olt County) in the period 2011–2021, in order to deepen and improve the existing game management. The surface of the game reserve is 8,661 ha and overlaps with 3 protected areas. During the research period, 9 representative species of hunting interest were identified, important from an ecological, economic and aesthetic point of view: 7 mammal species (belonging to 3 orders, 5 families) and 2 bird species (Phasianidae). Of the species of game interest studied, only the European fallow deer (an artificially introduced species), roe deer and red fox showed an increase in the number of animals, their hunting quotas and, therefore, their harvests during the research period. We mention the reduction in the wild boar herds, in spite of the special care taken by the administrator to supplement their food requirements, and the appearance and multiplication of jackals in the area, the multiplication of red foxes and the reduction in the European hare and gray partridge numbers. Comparing the actual and optimum populations in 2021, it can be observed that the actual population of roe deer, red deer and pheasant is close to the optimum population level. Thus, during the research period, the herds of hunting fauna were relatively high and balanced, in accordance with the diversity of the habitats and the large number of facilities for hunting. The need is felt to protect the habitats and further develop the territory where game is taken care of and harvested in the context where the habitats are subject to alarming changes, which affect both the trophic capacity and the shelter needed by the game. The hunters from the studied hunting fund must maintain a sincere and constructive dialogue with the other actors in the field, in order to be able to take, jointly, the most appropriate measures for the conservation of wild fauna, without harming protected areas, agricultural production, forestry, etc.

The influence of psychological needs and motivation on game cheating: insights from self-determination theory.

Game cheating (i.e., behavior of violating rules in games by using unregulated Software or assistive devices to gain advantage) poses a fatal problem as it destroys fair competition systems and negatively impacts the game ecosystem. Game cheating is reported to be common in competitive online games because they stimulate strongly a user's motivation and psychological needs. However, there is still in lack of academic research which focused on the issue from the psycho-social perspective. This study investigated the relationships between basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and motivation (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic) based on self-determination theory, and examined their effects on the degree of game cheating with survey data of 322 gamers in a competitive online gaming community. The results showed the opposite associations between the two forms of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and game cheating. On one hand, extrinsic motivation decreased by autonomy enhanced the degree of game cheating. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation increased by both autonomy and relatedness finally abated game cheating. Competence did not influence any form of motivation. The results indicated that people motivated by interest or enjoyment (i.e., intrinsic motivation) of the game tend to view game cheating negatively while those motivated by game victory and rewards are likely to have positive attitudes toward game cheating. Increasing the degree of user autonomy and social relations in the game could decrease game cheating through the enhancement of intrinsic motivation. Digital game cheating is a crucial problem threatening the spread of game culture and the growth of the eSports industry. The findings of this study reveal the influence of psychological needs and intrinsic motivation related to 'game cheating,' providing valuable guidelines in educational and policy aspects.

The ethical dilemma of modding digital games: A literature review of the creation and distribution of mods

In parallel with the rapid growth of the digital games market, the modding phenomenon has been gaining momentum. Mod culture, a manifestation of the convergence and the remix cultures, emerges as a way to adapt digital games to the needs of their players and incorporate content from other media, such as books, movies, or series, into the game world. This systematic literature review aims to discuss the ethical considerations of modding by understanding its impact on the overall gaming experience and comprehending how players and game companies perceive and respond to modders’ motivations. 15 studies from various scientific fields were analysed. Overall, mods impact the gaming experience in a variety of ways, ranging from educational purposes to deeper social concerns. While modders find motivation to create mods stemming from a myriad of reasons, including leisure and self-improvement, the stance taken by game companies, gaming communities, and players tends to discourage them from developing new mods and deter new modders who aspire to contribute with creative content. In conclusion, it remains important to recognise that specific ethical dilemmas linked to mod culture require in-depth debate to reach a consensus. Furthermore, other aspects demand more stringent scrutiny to ensure that we can all benefit from the enriching playground of personal experimentation and exploration that modding offers in this contemporary era of convergence.

Video Games and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Virtual Worlds as New Playgrounds and Training Spaces

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the authorities to take an unprecedented measure in history: the house confinement of millions of people worldwide. Video games, especially open-world video games (OWVGs), became meeting spaces, a digital places to play, chat, learn and socialize due to the context of the health crisis, respecting the rules of social distancing. This article analyses the role of video games and, more specifically, OWVGs, as playgrounds and training spaces during the pandemic. Statistical data and analyses carried out by consulting companies and civil associations show the definitive insertion of these video games in our routine and social relations. The challenge is to take advantage of the skills and abilities that these video games develop within a new framework of individual and community learning. The conclusions of the research show that the virtual worlds of video games are for the new digital society, safe and comfortable meeting spaces, and that since the confinement, these digital places have greatly expanded their reach, previously only limited to the gamer community.

3D Cooperative Multiplayer Online Game Design as Introduction to Gobak Sodor Traditional Sports Game : Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC)

This research aims to develop a design for a 3D Cooperative Multiplayer Online Game to introduce the traditional sport of “Gobak Sodor” to students. This research method used research and development based on the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) steps consisting of concept, design, material collecting, assembly, and testing. Expert Judgement was required to evaluate and validate the developed design by considering various aspects. The testing conducted by media experts resulted in a score of 83,93%. The result of this study indicated that the proposed design falls into the highly feasible category. The results of this research imply that this media can be used to preserve traditional game culture.

«LANGUAGE» OF RELIGION IN DIGITAL GAMES: THE EXAMPLE OF VISUAL NOVELS

The article presents theoretical and methodological analysis of the problem of studying the “language” of religion. The place and role of the “language” of religion in the conditions of globalization is defined. The status and role of computer video games in the cultural modern world with the presence of religious overtones in them is outlined. Within the framework of systematic study of this problem the variety of modern theories of different scientists concerning the definition of the “language” of religion was considered. The main attention in the work the author emphasizes the description of the prominent role of religion in the game culture, which influences the peculiarities of understanding people’s worldview. Not only characteristic concepts are highlighted, but also a historical sketch of the visual novel as a new branch of digital games is considered. The article proposes such methods as semiotic, comparative analysis of game characters with supernatural abilities presented in visual novels. The images of gods, god-man and other supernatural beings in virtual computer games were considered. The representative mythical reality was analyzed on the example of several stories of visual novels.

«Колесо жизни»: к играм пращуров от памяти детства

A popular Bulgarian game for young children “Granny, give me a fire” is considered here by addressing the most likely historical context for its emergence. The protagonists in the studied folkloric mini-tale are: the Fire, the Grandpa and the Dog, while the Grandma and the Child are the ones who actually play the game. The actors and the circumstances that define the multilayered events in these rhymes allow us to date the origins of this story by the late Stone Age. The Grandma’s character, who drives the action, gradually evolves as she introduces her grandson to the dialectics of the ‘wheel of life’. Although any precise dating of the verbal folklore is a very difficult exercise, we cannot exclude that searching for new details and parallels to the elements of this story will open a way to further studies into preserved relics of game culture.

Fancies explained

The concept of symbolic capital, introduced by Pierre Bourdieu (1986), has been applied to explain the circulation of value between game communities and the industry. The bottom-up approach can be found in the studies of so-called “gaming capital” accumulated by gamers (Consalvo, 2009), while the top-down approach focuses on the agents who hold the most power in the gaming industry (Nichols, 2013). These perspectives may require reconfiguration today: since the end of the 2010s, traditional power relations have been contested by ‘decentralized’ gaming that uses blockchain technologies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Their early adopters suggest that NFTs may disrupt traditional circulation of value to the benefit of players as opposed to major corporations. Many gamers, however, vehemently oppose NFTs in games. By combining these top-down and the bottom-up approaches, this article explains that the specific symbolic gaming capital remains systematically underappreciated in blockchain gaming, which operates along different vectors of power. To support my argument, I turn to the longest-running blockchain-based game CryptoKitties (Axiom Zen, 2017), and analyze the elements of the role-playing genre that appeared in the game during the collective process of continuous development. In the first case, these elements (‘fancies’) were added by the developers of the game, and in the second case, an RPG-like extension emerged as one of its fan spin-offs (KotoWars). I conclude that symbolic capital is community-specific in the case of blockchain gaming. It is only available to those who already possess considerable symbolic, and, much more importantly, financial capital within the crypto community.