The Long-Term Cultural Development of the Game Industry: A Perspective on Player Identity Construction
Abstract
During the last few years, academics have started to take an interest in the cultural sustainability of the gaming industry. Although the role of player identities in preserving game culture is not a properly studied aspect, despite the previous research focus using an economic, technological, and market viewpoint, the player identity construction is under-isolated results of the research. This essay will use Hallow Knight and its spinoff SilkSong as examples to examine the cultural shifts of the gaming industry in the long-term from the perspective of player-building. By examining game design, game mechanics, community practices and live-streaming culture, this paper can demonstrate how players are influenced by the work of game developers into developing the emotional attachment to the game, a sense of belonging and community, as well as a cultural identity. The findings indicate that stable player identities provide significant potential in terms of spurring the growth of the game culture in the long term by increasing the sense of engagement, as well as community cohesion and participatory practices among players. On these findings, the paper will offer the gaming industry several strategies such as the immersive narrative design, community co-creation mechanisms and how to operate with long-term culture so as to achieve sustainability.
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