Datafication of Digital Intimacy

The Dual Logic of Empowerment and Commodification

Bibliographic Data

ID2993559
AuthorsT Hu (0000-0001-6479-0337, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University), Longlong Ge (0000-0003-1519-455X, University College London, corresponding author)
Year2025
Publication date2025-07-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGames and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/15554120251358522
OpenAlexW4412516367
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited46

This study explores the datafication of digital intimacy in female-oriented otome games, analyzing how these games construct databases of idealized masculinities and romantic narratives, balancing empowerment and commodification. Through digital ethnography, walkthrough, and interviews with Chinese women players between 2023 and 2024, we reveal how otome games mediate intimacies between women players and virtual male characters, reflecting sociocultural values and shaping affective experiences. These women-oriented games collect intimate data to optimize design and profitability, offering immersive, customizable romantic experiences while commodifying emotional investments. This dual dynamic underscores a tension in emotional capitalism, where intimacy is both enriched and exploited. By examining the interplay between digital intimacy, datafication, and emotional capitalism, our study further contributes to the critical discourse on how role-playing games monetize personal and emotional experiences, emphasizing the need to safeguard user sovereignty as digital platforms capitalize on affective labor

Aesthetics · Art · Commodification · Dual (grammatical number · Economics · Empowerment · Epistemology · Internet privacy · Political science · Sociology · Computer Science · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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Open DOIOpen Access