There is a significant amount of evidence to substantiate the claim that those involved in immersive character role-play experiences experience some bleed through between their real self, and the character they play. Historically, this occurred through table-top role playing games like Dungeons and dragons, however, as the online gaming community subculture grows, there is marked interplay between game and self-identity (Williams, Hendrik & Winkler 1; Chee, Vieta, & Smith, 154). While this has been associated with seemingly negative social occurrences, like falling in love within a fantasy scenario (Waern 239), there is also evidence that it can foster positive social behaviors, like increased civic engagement (Gordon & Koo 204).
In order to develop this concept further I will address the following research questions:
In what way does online gaming impact emotions and persona through bleed? Is the bleed phenomenon inherently negative?
The resulting thesis that will guide the project is:
Bleed, or the phenomenon by which individuals confuse the self in online gaming cultures, while culturally significant, is not inherently negative; evidence suggests that bleed has significant positive social and psychological impacts within the online gaming subculture.
Bibliography:
Chee, Florence, Marcelo Vieta, and Richard Smith. "Online Gaming and the Interactive Self: Identity Interplay In Situational Practice." Ed. J. Patrick Williams, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith. Winkler. Gaming as Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2006. 154-75. Print.
Gordon, E., and G. Koo. "Placeworlds: Using Virtual Worlds to Foster Civic Engagement." Space and Culture 11.3 (2008): 204-21. Web.
Shaw, A. "What Is Video Game Culture? Cultural Studies and Game Studies." Games and Culture 5.4 (2010): 403-24. Web.
Waern, Annika. "‘I’m in Love with Someone That Doesn’t Exist!’ Bleed in the Context of a Computer Game." Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds 3.3 (2011): 239-57. Web.
Williams, D., T. L. M. Kennedy, and R. J. Moore. "Behind the Avatar: The Patterns, Practices, and Functions of Role Playing in MMOs." Games and Culture 6.2 (2010): 171-200. Web.
Williams, J. Patrick, Sean Q. Hendricks, and W. Keith. Winkler. Gaming as Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2006. Print.
