Data (streaming online chat, user-generated content, and forum discussions) were collected daily for 4 weeks from and Steam channels about the popular online game DOTA 2. In this article, an alternative perspective is advanced, drawing from a foundation in media and culture studies.
One step from eden online multiplayer drivers#
Most of the existing literature on toxicity in gaming is descriptive and exploratory it often sets out to map milestones and inherent drivers of toxicity. Toxicity is an important topic as it impacts game development, consumption, popularity, public perception, and player health and well-being. This is particularly true for digital entertainment like online games. Toxicity continues to have a strong presence in online environments. Addressing these lacunae, this paper draws on in-depth interviews conducted amongst male players of first-person shooters to explore how the hyper competitive, skill-based, and team-oriented characteristics of online gamespaces provide opportunities for them to experiment with, and develop, a more integrated sense of the masculine self. Similarly, whilst research has considered the triggers and effects of toxic playing behaviors within online gamespaces, lacking is an understanding of how these behaviors intersect with the formation of more masculine subject positions.
Whilst existing masculinities research has explored how technological mastery can lead to expressions of ‘geek’ masculinity, it does not consider the beneficial effects of online competition and collaboration. In doing so, it advances an understanding of the interconnected nature of players’ online and offline worlds, and their ‘actual’ and ‘ideal’ selves. This paper explores how and why first-person shooter games can enable players to forge a more masculine sense of self.