PROJECTIONS OF PERSON AND BODY IN A VIDEO GAME CONTEXT; An anthropological study of the relationship between virtual bodies, game environment and social landscape on a multiplayer video-game server

Abstract

This thesis is based on ethnographic fieldwork done on a multiplayer server in the video game Garry’s Mod. The multiplayer server centres around roleplay and building. The game takes place in a 3D-modeled city with apartments, roads and parks. Players can take on different roles, such as regular citizens, police and various criminal roles. The way players move within and interact with the game environment has been a main concern in the study. For example, body language and building-projects are investigated. The main argument is that the concept of the body can be redefined in different contexts. In this case the context is a virtual game environment, within which the player’s body is virtually represented as the in-game avatar. The concept of embodiment is used to investigate this. Players’ engagement with the virtual game environment is also explored. The social landscape on the server affects how players interact with the environment, particularly as they build bases to protect themselves from one another. Using movement theory, the thesis explores how the virtual body and game environment are experienced in relation to each other. Social interaction between players is investigated through the lens of playful virtual violence and transgressive humour. Methods used include interviews, which have been conducted over voice call and chat messages, as well as participant observation within the virtual 3D environment in the game. The paper is written in English.