Communicating in the Virtual World: Meaning-Making and Self-Positioning in Open-World Gameplay
(2025) SOCM05 20251Sociology
- Abstract
- This study uses The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a case to explore how players communicate with the game system and how identity becomes fluid within the virtual world. Adopting a qualitative research approach that combines participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the analysis draws on social systems theory to examine how players interact with technological artefacts, make contingent choices under uncertainty, and adjust their self-positioning at the intersection of virtual and real worlds. The study found that instead of following a predefined script, players’ actions weave unique networks of meaning in the open-world through constant experimentation and revision. The player’s self-identity is also generated... (More)
- This study uses The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a case to explore how players communicate with the game system and how identity becomes fluid within the virtual world. Adopting a qualitative research approach that combines participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the analysis draws on social systems theory to examine how players interact with technological artefacts, make contingent choices under uncertainty, and adjust their self-positioning at the intersection of virtual and real worlds. The study found that instead of following a predefined script, players’ actions weave unique networks of meaning in the open-world through constant experimentation and revision. The player’s self-identity is also generated dynamically in the flow of actions, emotional regulation, and virtual experiences. This study not only attends to the micro-level phenomena of game mechanics and player interaction, but also responds to a broader contemporary question: how individuals can continuously generate networks of self-observation and meaning negotiation through communication in a highly complex and uncertain media environment. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- This study looks at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a popular open-world game, to understand how players explore, make decisions, and relate to their game characters. I invited five players with different levels of gaming experience to play the game while I observed their actions and reactions. I also interviewed them to learn more about their thoughts and feelings.
This study shows that players do not just follow the story. They make their own choices, respond to surprises, change their strategies, and sometimes feel emotionally connected to the game world. Instead of seeing themselves simply as heroes in a fantasy, players often take on shifting roles: helper, observer, even “parent” to their character. These small choices and... (More) - This study looks at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a popular open-world game, to understand how players explore, make decisions, and relate to their game characters. I invited five players with different levels of gaming experience to play the game while I observed their actions and reactions. I also interviewed them to learn more about their thoughts and feelings.
This study shows that players do not just follow the story. They make their own choices, respond to surprises, change their strategies, and sometimes feel emotionally connected to the game world. Instead of seeing themselves simply as heroes in a fantasy, players often take on shifting roles: helper, observer, even “parent” to their character. These small choices and emotional moments reveal something bigger – how we use media to reflect on ourselves and make sense of uncertainty. In a time when digital environments are everywhere, games offer more than entertainment – they become spaces where identity, emotion, and imagination come together. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9204204
- author
- Lin, Yuhan LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM05 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- System Theory, Virtual Identity, Player-Game Interaction, Communication
- language
- English
- id
- 9204204
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-23 21:55:54
- date last changed
- 2025-06-23 21:55:54
@misc{9204204,
abstract = {{This study uses The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a case to explore how players communicate with the game system and how identity becomes fluid within the virtual world. Adopting a qualitative research approach that combines participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the analysis draws on social systems theory to examine how players interact with technological artefacts, make contingent choices under uncertainty, and adjust their self-positioning at the intersection of virtual and real worlds. The study found that instead of following a predefined script, players’ actions weave unique networks of meaning in the open-world through constant experimentation and revision. The player’s self-identity is also generated dynamically in the flow of actions, emotional regulation, and virtual experiences. This study not only attends to the micro-level phenomena of game mechanics and player interaction, but also responds to a broader contemporary question: how individuals can continuously generate networks of self-observation and meaning negotiation through communication in a highly complex and uncertain media environment.}},
author = {{Lin, Yuhan}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Communicating in the Virtual World: Meaning-Making and Self-Positioning in Open-World Gameplay}},
year = {{2025}},
}