The dynamics of conflict within an online gaming community : understanding the conflict process in an online gaming setting and what to look out for as a company : a case on The Elder Scrolls Online gaming community

• Autor(a) principal: Franieck, Lucas
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/26964
• topic: Online conflict; Conflict process; Gaming; Retention; Netnography; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Economia e Gestão

This dissertation aims at taking a deeper look into social interactions within online gaming. Specifically, it explores the dynamics of conflict within the online gaming community of the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game “The Elder Scrolls Online”. A netnographic approach is taken to understand how conflict within such a community emerges and develops. It also addresses how conflict in this online setting can escalate and how players engage in these conflicts. The way in which players associate these conflicts to the company who develops the game is also explored. Data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach. The results describe that conflict within this community is a complex process that emerges whenever a player perceives that another party has frustrated or is about to frustrate a concern of his/her regarding his/her gaming experience. Conflict is then escalated depending on how players engage with each other in regard to that concern. Less cooperative conflict handling styles, group polarizations and magnitude of frustration experienced are observed to lead to conflict escalation. In such situations, players engage in hostility, personal attacks and shaming. While some players attribute their frustration to the company, others see conflicts within the community as socially originating. This dissertation therefore discusses the implications of studying conflicts within online gaming communities and proposes that these communities are an enriching field for the study of conflict as issues tied to the content and context of the game can blend with broader social issues.