Honors Program Theses
Award/Availability
Open Access Honors Program Thesis
First Advisor
Anne Woodrick
Keywords
Video games--Social aspects;
Abstract
The popularity of videogames globally is increasing dramatically. The gamer explores first hand fantastic worlds. The story structure of many games follows the hero's journey-a rite of passage that social scientists view as a transformative experience. Although the content of the journey may be culturally specific, the similar structural components of the journey enable the hero to ultimately complete his/her journey as a changed person. I hypothesize that during the playing process, the gamer incorporates the experiences of his/her character and shares in some of these transformative processes. My research is based on participant observation and open-ended interviews with individuals who play 'Mass Effect'. Conclusions indicate that story driven games will have a social community forming effect, and impart moral messages on the gamers who play them.
Year of Submission
2013
Department
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
University Honors Designation
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation University Honors
Date Original
5-2013
Object Description
1 PDF file (36 pages)
Copyright
©2013 Jeremiah Moffitt
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Moffitt, Jeremiah, "A Heroic journey within videogames and the effects of player experience" (2013). Honors Program Theses. 568.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/hpt/568
Comments
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