Participative textures in World of Warcraft: social capital, affect and community in massively multiplayer online games

Glynou, Angeliki

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to explore how affect and social capital emerge in the virtual communities of World of Warcraft (WoW). To set the theoretical framework, the thesis draws from game studies, media theory, community studies, affect theory and theory of emergence. Importantly, the historical context of the research is key to understanding the timeliness of its findings. The primary research took place during the first COVID-19 lockdown, a period of confinement and profound isolation, when seeking online social connections became a necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a shift in the public perception of video games in general. In March 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed video games as a way to cope with isolation and social distancing, a significant change of position as, only two years prior, it had classified video game addiction as a disorder (Canales, 2020).

I have been playing WoW for more than sixteen years and my positionality as a researcher is that of gaming enthusiast and insider. Approaching the research as an insider provides me with pre-existing knowledge of the game, its world, rules, norms and language. The methodological approach that structures the primary research is grounded in ethnography, with semi-structured interviews and in-game participant observation inside a WoW guild. This methodological approach uniquely situates the research as distinct from other studies of social capital and belonging in virtual communities. It allows for a nuanced understanding of how Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) communities are created, facilitated and shaped by the game's affordances and participants' interactions. The ethnographic research took place over the course of seven months, between January and July 2020. Findings were later analysed, coded and thematised using thematic analysis.

The thesis presents six principal arguments. First, this thesis argues that social capital and affect in MMOG communities are shaped by the interconnected experiences and practices related to five participative textures namely, audiencehood, participation, belonging, presence and emergence. Second, the thesis argues that guilds are places of community exploration and experimentation, where emergent behaviours give rise to individual and collective narratives that facilitate the bonding aspect of social capital, that can lead to deep, affective and lasting connections which extend beyond the world of the game. Third, this thesis argues that affect relates to emotional attachment cultivated within virtual communities, facilitating the creation of safe spaces and networks of support, and places that allow participants to be vulnerable and to belong. Fourth, this thesis argues that audiences in MMOG communities are aware of themselves as a collective and construct their selfhood and identity by interrelating with the world and others. Fifth, this thesis argues that there is a collective nostalgia for affective co-presence between players, manifest as a longing to experience the game's social world differently. Last, by encouraging trust, empathy and reciprocity, and dissuading selfish behaviours, social capital and affect positively impact upon the creation of healthy, safe and inclusive communities.

The thesis describes the participative textures of virtual game communities and their intricate structures, revealing the mechanisms that facilitate healthy, safe and inclusive communities. As such, the thesis will be of interest to multiplayer game creators and designers that are looking for ways to promote more positive, cooperative and inclusive virtual communities. It is also hoped that the thesis will be of interest to game theorists, anthropologists and community researchers, interested in understanding and developing affordances for social capital and affect.

Citation

Glynou, A. Participative textures in World of Warcraft: social capital, affect and community in massively multiplayer online games. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 8, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 8, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17869/enu.2024.4045232
• Award Date: Oct 31, 2024