An Alternative Public Sphere? Examining Online Game Community

WANG Yun

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Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (8) : 47-66.

An Alternative Public Sphere? Examining Online Game Community

  • Wang Yun is a Ph.D candidate at School of Journalism and Communication of Zhejiang University. E-mail: jimmy_wells@163.com.
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Abstract

Online game community is fairly an alternative public sphere in terms of the publicity of the Internet. A game contains an open communication structure, and provides autonomous ways to construct communities. Players can achieve identity in the online space. The basic motivations are to protect the private spheres, maintain the production of public knowledge and achieve the online and offline status in community. There is a public opinion climate about experiences of online games, daily lives and the political world in the communication content of online games. Political power and capital factor influence the behaviors of members in the community, and interact with players in an interdependence power relationships. The reproduction of power in online games could be discussed based on three characteristics of a player: a player as an online actor, a private consumer, or a political citizen. However, as a public sphere, the online game community still faces problems on reality practice, the spirit of public debate, and the security of public interest.

Key words

public sphere / online game community / publicity

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WANG Yun. An Alternative Public Sphere? Examining Online Game Community. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2015, 37(8): 47-66

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