The rogue in the lovely black dress: intimacy in world of warcraft

Authors:
Tyler Pace;Shaowen Bardzell;Jeffrey Bardzell
Affiliations:
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA;Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA;Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Venue:
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2010

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Abstract

In this paper we present a critical analysis of player accounts of intimacy and intimate experiences in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW). Our analysis explores four characteristics that players articulated about their virtual intimate experiences: the permeability of intimacy across virtual and real worlds, the mundane as the origin of intimacy, the significance of reciprocity and exchange, and the formative role of temporality in shaping understandings and recollections of intimate experiences. We also consider the manifest ways that WoW's software features support and encourage these characteristics.