Uses of ethnography in image-based virtual worlds

Abstract

Ethnography is a well-established technique in social sciences research, especially in Anthropology. However, the new communication spaces mediated by technology have presented challenges to its application, in the face of deterritorialization, anonymity and registers limited mostly to the written text, allowing for the appearance of various adaptations of ethnography for the online environment, broaching characteristics typical of websites, discussion fora, social networks, chats, and MUDs . However, the online massive games, denominated MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing), incorporate image strongly in its interactive experience, presenting graphic avatars , gestual interactions between characters and the possibility of an experience of the virtual world simulated in three dimensions. Moreover, one can see the formation of identities that expand themselves beyond the game by using other online channels and reaching the offline one. The innovations open new dimensions for the use of ethnography (including visual anthropology) in online virtual worlds requiring adaptations of the existing techniques. A review is made of the main ethnographic techniques applied to the online environment and one discusses modifications that the specific characteristics of the MMORPGs would make in such techniques. It is concluded that the imagetic aspect and the ambiance based on a tri-dimensional environment of such games in a certain way enable the application of the most classical techniques of ethnography.