A hybrid cultural ecology: World of Warcraft in China

Silvia Lindtner, Bonnie Nardi, Yang Wang, Scott Mainwaring, He Jing, Wenjing Liang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We analyze online gaming as a site of collaboration in a digital-physical hybrid. We ground our analysis in findings from an ethnographic study of the online game World of Warcraft in China. We examine the interplay of collaborative practices across the physical environment of China's Internet cafes and the virtual game space of World of Warcraft. Our findings suggest that it may be fruitful to broaden existing notions of physical-digital hybridity by considering the nuanced interplay between the digital and physical as a multi-dimensional environment or "ecology". We illustrate how socio-economics, government regulations and cultural value systems shaped a hybrid cultural ecology of online gaming in China.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCSCW 08 - Conference Proceedings, 2008 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Pages371-381
Number of pages11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
Event2008 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, CSCW 08 - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Nov 8 2008Nov 12 2008

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, CSCW

Other

Other2008 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, CSCW 08
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period11/8/0811/12/08

Keywords

  • Ethnography
  • Games
  • Hybrid ecology
  • Mixed reality
  • Virtual worlds
  • World of Warcraft

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Networks and Communications

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A hybrid cultural ecology: World of Warcraft in China'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this