Abstract
Despite the increasing convergence of digital, physical, and immaterial dimensions of game characters, little attention has been paid to the role of materiality in how gamers connect with the characters they play. This study evaluated potential differences in character identification and interaction in a gaming context affording various character materialities: the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Multimethod analysis of online survey data (N = 1,135) reveals that character identification and interaction dimensions were invariant across primary character-representation mode (figurine, physical image, digital image, written, and imagined); however, post-hoc analysis suggests that multimaterial assemblages and social factors are key in how character representations are linked to character relations. Following, we argue that game characters may be more appropriately understood as subjective experiences rather than varying according to a given digital or physical manifestation.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 61-81 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Imagination, Cognition and Personality |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- bricolage
- characters
- games
- identification
- materiality
- relationships
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Psychology (miscellaneous)
- Cognitive Neuroscience