A Sense of Place in a Placeless Non-place

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to research a digital sense of place as experienced by roleplayers in World of Warcraft. This is done in an effort to gain a deeper understanding on why people decide to spend a considerable amount of time in virtual worlds similar to WoW, how they utilize a digital world rife with story, culture and unique geographies but also to broaden the understanding of the importance of these virtual worlds.

This thesis is a qualitative case study of World of Warcraft and roleplayers. The only determining factors for participation in this study was that they identify as roleplayers in World of Warcraft, and that they are over 18 years of age. Allowing the roleplayers to retain their anonymity gave them the ability to open up about their rich experiences with the virtual world, and how they utilize it to build friendships and communities.

Interviews with eleven candidates was completed throughout the spring, summer and autumn. The interviews were split into three phases: a problem-centered interview where the participant was allowed to elaborate on the experiences they found most important to them. This lead to a semi-structured interview where the interview questions were shaped by initial answer the participants gave. And the final phase was a simple questionnaire, designed to contextualize the answers given by connecting it with time spent playing weekly, the personal importance of continuing to play the game as well as their willingness to play if they lost their anonymity. All of these interviews, aside from one, was done online in a written form. An additional four participants were chosen at random through the autumn, and underwent a significantly shorter interview.

A thematic analysis of the data showed clear and consistent themes amongst all participants, resulting in three most important factors for the digital sense of place; 1. anonymity and escapism, granting the participant the ability to express themselves freely, unburdened by their real-life identity. 2. The world building in WoW provides a common context and framework for socialization and writing of their roleplay avatar – one that allows for a plurality of expressions and identities as expressed through the avatar. 3. Community being the crux of their experiences, as all participants thematically expressed that finding belonging in a community appropriate for their creativity, needs and wants to be the most important factor for their enjoyment of the virtual world.