Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorPerks, Matthew
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-24 14:58:57 (GMT)
dc.date.available2023-04-24 14:58:57 (GMT)
dc.date.issued2023-04-24
dc.date.submitted2023-04-17
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/19315
dc.description.abstractThrough multiple qualitative approaches, this dissertation contributes to understanding the increased role of addressing, engaging, and managing online communities in gameswork. It pays particular attention to how individual actors – such as game developers, content creators, community managers, and game journalists – collectively react to shifting industry trends that prioritize community engagement and building. It contributes to the literature on games by highlighting the experiences and perspectives of those working within the industry – such as community managers and game developers – as their industry undergoes significant shifts in priorities. In addition, it contributes to media and platform studies by examining the impacts on the production and consumption of media when audiences demand more intimate and direct access to creators. It pays specific attention to the workers who act as the filter between those who produce and those who consume. This dissertation draws together four individual projects with distinct methodologies, research partners, and questions to illustrate the impacts of this shift. Chapter 2 examines critical games journalism to show how a lack of investment in community engagement leads to a breakdown of the community. Chapter 3 uses qualitative interviews and observation of drag content creators to show how they grapple with building their online communities amidst changing platform dynamics. Chapter 4 uses qualitative interviews with game developers to highlight how they choose to or choose not to work with content creators as they adapt to new priorities in their industry. Chapter 5 uses qualitative interviews with community managers to examine how their work has changed, continues to change, and leaves lingering anxieties and questions about the future of their work. These individual projects are tied together through the complementary theme of servitization (Vandermerwe & Rada, 1988; Weststar & Dubois, 2022), which captures the trend of traditionally individually produced, packaged, and consumed products moving to a system of continuous access and consumption. As gameswork produces more products designed as a service for consumers, it changes the needs and expectations of gaming communities. I argue that this increased emphasis on community changes priorities for those working within creative and cultural industries that have implications for developers, community managers, and players. As these priorities change, new concerns arise regarding the working conditions, career, and educational pathways for those in community-focused roles.en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.subjectgame industryen
dc.subjectonline communitiesen
dc.subjectcommunity managementen
dc.subjectgamesworken
dc.subjectgame production studiesen
dc.subjectcontent creationen
dc.subjectservitizationen
dc.titleDeveloping a Community: Qualitative Approaches to Understanding the Role of Community Engagement in Gamesworken
dc.typeDoctoral Thesisen
dc.pendingfalse
uws-etd.degree.departmentSociology and Legal Studiesen
uws-etd.degree.disciplineSociologyen
uws-etd.degree.grantorUniversity of Waterlooen
uws-etd.degreeDoctor of Philosophyen
uws-etd.embargo.terms0en
uws.contributor.advisorWhitson, Jennifer
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Artsen
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.scholarLevelGraduateen


Files in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record


UWSpace

University of Waterloo Library
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4883

All items in UWSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved.

DSpace software

Service outages