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Researching and writing this thesis has been a difficult task, which without everyone's help and advice would never have been realized. Second, my family has been the greatest support mechanism during the writing of this thesis and has given me the freedom to pursue postgraduate studies.
Introduction
However, video games have evolved beyond the simple capabilities of the arcade with the birth of the game console (such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii). What is notable about the study of video game culture is the lack of focus on the actual players of video games (gamers) who play video games regularly as a cultural group definitively distinct from other cultural groupings. These three factors are: (1) the study of video games, (2) the study of players, and (3) the study of the context of the previous two (which can be represented quite clearly by Figure 1.1).
One example of the multidisciplinary nature of game studies is the work of Tom Boellstorf, who discusses how anthropological approaches can significantly contribute to the multidisciplinary nature of game studies. All of these different perspectives help provide a bigger picture of the cultural and social value of video games.
Theoretical Framework
However, it is necessary to begin this theoretical chapter by closely examining today's relations between the social categories of the "economy" and that. Therefore, this is not a modernist rejection of the economy (capitalism), but an active postmodern use of capitalist goods and media to assemble and sustain an autonomous (sub)cultural environment. Those who possessed large amounts of subcultural capital actually controlled the boundaries of the subculture, deciding who was "in" and who was "out."
Furthermore, Hodkinson's model demonstrates the pervasiveness of membership in contemporary subcultures centered around media and commerce (entrenched in a cycle of consumerism). Furthermore, an industry is being developed surrounding the subculture, using the shared tastes and values of the gaming subculture as a benchmark for what can be imagined.
Research Methodology
This means that the questioner selects people and places for investigation because they can purposefully provide information about an understanding of the research problem and the central phenomenon in the investigation. One result of this was that questions were adjusted where necessary as dictated by the requirements of the interview and the research situation. The researcher guides the interview and allows different aspects of the topic to arise naturally (Bertrand and Hughes 2005: 79).
The biggest advantage of the semi-structured interview is that it can lead to the development of a written record that can be analyzed in detail (Berger 2000: 113). First, the ability of the researcher to listen is fundamental to the art of interviewing. Long-term residence helps the researcher to internalize the basic beliefs, fears, hopes and expectations of the people being studied.
The researcher's own attitudinal changes, fears and concerns, and social meanings in interacting and living with the people in the field are part of the data. Many of the interviews conducted during that part of the research phase took place within focus groups. Focus groups offered less time pressure and were flexible given the circumstances of the research situation at the time.
You “determine which aspect of the data each topic covers” and the overall narrative of the analysis. The triangulation of the research plan consists of: purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, participant observation and thematic analysis. Validity – the accuracy or reality of the ethnographic research process – derives from the “techniques of data collection and analysis” (LeCompte and Goetz.
Thematic Analysis
Hodkinson's schedule became four spotlights, so to speak, allowing me to focus with grateful clarity on the hallmarks of the gaming subculture. From Caveshen's experience in the Durban community, he made it clear that the subcultural side of the gaming community – the 'close-knit community' – includes an increasing number of participants and has developed into something more 'social'. Shooters, he claimed, are currently the heart of the gaming industry.
Nadine said that hardcore players understand each other because of the same or similar values that they share. To access and share in that knowledge is to become part of the subculture, and those without it are consigned to the outer darkness of "casual" gamers. In terms of gaming communities, Caveshen has participated in and been a part of the local South African DotA community.
These negative values are embraced by these two gaming communities within the game called DotA and the console environment of the Xbox 360. Many of my friends have said this in a very comical way: 90% of the gamers in the world are men. Part of maintaining this subjective sense of group identity is by participating in the communal aspects of the overall gaming culture in which gamers interact, such as online gaming communities.
Caveshen offered a useful insight into the actual community structures that make up the gaming subculture. Similarly, "casual" players recognized their distance from the center of the subculture, a distance that also measured level. Throughout the research process, independent video game developers and studios (or independent studios) were interviewed to provide a "subcultural" (and "insider") perspective of the video game industry.
In the South African context, indie game design is attractive due to the lack of larger video game studios in the region. The criterion of "Autonomy" turned out to be an important aspect of the gaming subculture, especially in its identification as a "subculture of consumption".
Conclusion
Although some major video game publishers and studios may be less interested in the concerns of the gaming public, there have been major cases such as with video game studios such as Valve and Bioware where player input has proven to be of importance. great to maintain a good relationship with the gaming public. Furthermore, the realization I came to in the final analysis was that gamers define the gaming industry to a large degree. I immersed myself in the gaming subculture and the industry itself by participating and taking on an editorial role at a local gaming website called eGamer.
However, it was not as I perceived it, as shown in the general research conclusion. This very understanding forms identity construction, as shown in the thematic analysis section dealing with the criterion of identity. Finally in the analysis I dealt with "Autonomy" which is the crucial importance of both commerce and the media in "the construction and facilitation of subcultures".
Indie developers are involved in the video game trade and help facilitate the building of a subculture, and have become a driver of innovation and creativity in the video game industry. I was interested in the independent subculture media that is the main support for many developers, publishers and distributors in the local video game industry. In the larger scheme of things, this helps to maintain the local South African gaming subculture and its plethora of online communities.
What cannot be denied is the importance of these avenues in the gaming media in sustaining and supporting the gaming industry and its continued distribution. While major financial power remains in the hands of game distributors and publishers, gamers and the gaming subculture are essential to generating financial stability for the industry as a whole. Labeled as "Autonomy" in Hodkinson's (2002) model, trade and media have been crucial in the long-term maintenance and creation of gaming culture, both in its local capacity as shown in this thesis, and on a global scale.
Culture and Consumption: A Theoretical Account of the Structure and Movement of the Cultural Significance of Consumer Goods. Consumer Value Systems in the Age of Postmodern Fragmentation: Case of the Natural Health Microculture.
Appendix A – Informed Consent Form
I………(full names of participant) hereby confirm that I understand the content of this document and the nature of the research project, and I agree to participate in the research project. I also understand that I am free to refuse to answer any questions and am also free to withdraw from the project at any time, should I so wish, and that this will not have negative consequences for myself.
Appendix B – Interview Questions
Is your sense of group identity strong enough to make you feel different from mainstream society (as separate from mainstream society). How often do you play games, the time you spend per day, real and online?). Is the "gamer" designation more of a deterrent and countermeasure used to protect the credibility of gamers who consider themselves "hardcore" and exclude those they consider "casual".
Or do you think the line between casual and hardcore gamers is slowly shifting and asserting itself in different directions? If you are involved in a small business, website or initiative and are doing it for profit. Or are you interested in outside corporate interests (non-subcultural ones with products and services like publishers and tech companies).
How would you position the magazine in terms of volume (in the market). Is NAG micro, macro or niche in terms of its market and readership?). To what extent is NAG (and other similar publications) vital to the gaming community (gamers). Ali NAG is an independent publication and is run to provide content for gamers.
As an indie developer, do you find that you are more able to express your own individuality through games.
Appendix C – Images From rAge
