Gamers never play alone: an interface-centred analysis of online video gaming

Online gaming involves a complex and multidimensional set of practices. This article proposes understanding online video gaming based on an interface-centred approach that goes beyond the classic study of the “graphic user interface”. In this theoretical and analytical framework, the interface is co...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Scolari, Carlos Alberto, 1963-, Pires de Sá, Fernanda, Masanet, Maria-Jose
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/56644
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/56644
http://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i1.11623
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:video gaming
online video gaming
interface
actor
relationship
process
adolescents
Descripción
Sumario:Online gaming involves a complex and multidimensional set of practices. This article proposes understanding online video gaming based on an interface-centred approach that goes beyond the classic study of the “graphic user interface”. In this theoretical and analytical framework, the interface is considered the place where human, institutional and technological actors relate to each other and different processes are carried out. The article draws the data from empirical research with teens carried out in eight countries. It analyses the teenagers’ online playing experience as an interface, understood as a ‘network of actors’ that goes beyond the single video gaming device (console, PC, etc.). This work also presents a map of actors, relationships and processes of the online video gaming interface, paying particular attention to the tensions and critical issues that arise, from a perspective that, in further studies, could be expanded to other practices.