New Perspectives on the Social Aspects of Digital Gaming

Thorsten Quandt holds the chair of Online Communication at the University of Münster, Germany. Rachel Kowert recently completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Münster, Germany.

"This is a timely addition to Game Studies, especially in the way it addresses issues at the heart of gaming communities at present. A strong body of complimentary chapters produce a well-rounded picture of gaming communities and the issues they face." --Esther MacCallum-Stewart, University of the West of England, UK"As with the previous volume, this book brings together an interesting and enlightening sampler of the latest original research on social aspects of digital games from talented new scholars and established leaders in the field. An excellent survey on where research on digital games is going, and where it should go." --James D. Ivory, Virginia Tech, USA

• 1. Multiplayer and beyond: Witnessing the evolution of gaming[Thorsten Quandt & Rachel Kowert]Part I: Social Forms of Gaming2. From social play to social games and back: The emergence and development of social network games [Frans Mäyrä, Jaakko Sternos, Janne Paavilainen, & Annakaisa Kultima]3. Identifying social forms of flow in multi-user games [Joceran Borderie & Nicolas Michinov]4. Envisioning the other: A grounded exploration of social roles in digital game play [Jasmien Vervaeke, Frederik De Grove, & Jan Van Looy]Part II: Online Gaming 5. Multiplayer games as the ultimate communication lab and incubator: A multi-media Study [John L. Sherry, Andy Boyan, Kendra Knight, Cherylann Edwards, & Qi Hao]6. The MMORPG designer’s journey: Casualization and its consequences for social interactions [Daniel Pietschmann, Benny Liebold, & Georg Valtin]7. Multiplayer features and game success [André Marchand]Part III: Gender Issues in Gaming Communities 8. Sexism in video games and the gaming community[Jesse Fox & Wai Yen Tang]9. Women are from FarmVille, Men are from ViceCity: The cycle of exclusion and sexism in video game content and culture [Rachel Kowert, Johannes Breuer, & Thorsten Quandt]Part IV: Games for Change10. The key features of persuasive games: A model and case analysis [Ruud Jacobs, Jeroen Jansz, & Teresa de la Hera Conde-Pumpido]11. "Resist the dictatorship of Malygos on Coldarra Island!" Evidence of MMOG culture in Taiwan’s Sunflower Social Movement [Holin Lin & Chuen Tsai Sun]12. Between drudgery and "Promesse du bonheur": Games and gamification[Mathias Fuchs]