This entry gives an introduction to the study of avatars and player–avatar relations in video games and virtual communities. It presents a short history of avatars, distinguishing between different aspects of the concept and its uses, and then highlighting key debates and research efforts in the field. Drawing on the emerging interdisciplinary field of the philosophy of computer games, the entry provides a brief phenomenological account of avatar‐based play in contemporary 3D games, and addresses the question of player/avatar identity.
What are the characteristic features of avatar-based singleplayer videogames, from Super Mario Bros. to Grand Theft Auto? Rune Klevjer examines this question with a particular focus on issues of fictionality and realism, and their relation to cinema and Virtual Reality. Through close-up analysis and philosophical discussion, Klevjer argues that avatar-based gaming is a distinctive and dominant form of virtual self-embodiment in digital culture. This book is a revised edition of Rune Klevjer's pioneering work from 2007, featuring a new introduction by the author and afterword by Stephan Günzel, Jörg Sternagel, and Dieter Mersch.
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