Psychology Commons^™

The Mutual Interaction Of Online And Offline Identities In Massively Multiplayer Online Communities: A Study Of Eve Online Players, Matthew J. Ponsford

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study was conducted to examine the ways that individuals experience massively multiplayer online games, and the interaction between online and offline identities. Ten members of the EVE Online community were interviewed about their experiences of the boundaries and crossovers between offline self and online character. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for consistent themes. Themes drawn from the data fell into three over- arching categories: the Appeal of EVE, or the player motivations and qualities of the game environment that influence player investment; Self/Character Interaction, describing the ways in which online and offline identities interact; and Moral Dilemmas, …