Video games Player-characters Gender Emotional attachment
This research, using online qualitative survey questions, explored how players of the PlayStation 4 console game, Horizon Zero Dawn, formed emotional attachments to characters while playing as, and assuming the persona of the female player-character, Aloy. It was found that the respondents (approximately 71% male) formed emotional attachments to the female player-character (PC) and non-player characters. Players found the characters to be realistic and well developed, and they also found engaging with the storyworld via the female PC a profound experience. This research advances knowledge about video games in general and video game character attachment specifically, as well as the emerging but under-researched areas of Persona Studies and Game Studies.
Details
Title
The Female Video Game Player Character Persona and Emotional Attachment
Authors
Jacqueline Burgess (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, USC Business School - Legacy
Christian Jones (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Social Sciences - Legacy
Publication details
Persona Studies, Vol.6(2), pp.7-21
Publisher
Deakin University, School of Communication and Creative Arts, Persona Celebrity Publics Research Group
Date published
2021
DOI
10.21153/psj2020vol6no2art963
ISSN
2205-5258
Copyright note
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Organisation Unit
School of Business and Creative Industries; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; USC Business School - Legacy; Engage Research Lab; School of Law and Society