More Than Just Playing a Character”
Gender Exploration and Expression in Avatar Customization
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12804375 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yisong Han (0009-0004-1400-9898, Monash University, corresponding author), Xavier Ho (0000-0002-0171-5097, Monash University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Games and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15554120241307982 |
| OpenAlex | W4405824042 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Avatar customization in games is seen as a crucial avenue for players to express and explore gender. While gender options in avatar customization systems are frequently binary, players could still achieve diverse gender expressions. This study investigates how players express and explore gender through avatar customization systems in videogames. Through semistructured interviews with 20 players from different countries who self-reported diverse genders, we identified three major themes: (i) conforming to and/or subverting gender norms; (ii) symbolizing self-identity; and (iii) exploring and experimenting with gender. These themes reveal how players utilize customization options to express gender beyond binary constraints. This research provides critical insights for game designers to support diverse gender expressions. The findings suggest that avatar customization systems are dynamic spaces for ongoing gender identity exploration
Aesthetics · Art · Avatar · Character (mathematics · Expression (computer science · Gender identity · Human–computer interaction · Identity (music · Personalization · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Educational Games and Gamification · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Psychology · Social Psychology
Ready Player Two
The future of sex and gender in psychology
Thematic Analysis
“I am the character, the character is me”
A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis
The strategic female
Video Games Have Always Been Queer
Gaming at the Edge
The Culture of Digital Fighting Games
Endowed by Their Creator
Gender Trouble
The Role of the Avatar in Gaming for Trans and Gender Diverse Young People
Computer game mods, modders, modding, and the mod scene
Object, Me, Symbiote, Other
You can’t be deadnamed in a video game”
Performing the Looking-Glass Self
Playing With Our Selves
Mods as Lightning Rods
High Noon on the Electronic Frontier
Using thematic analysis in psychology
It's All In the Family
The Sociological Construction of Gender and Sexuality
Doing Gender
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |