CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 3Digital Games and MediaMedia and Digital CommunicationDigital Marketing and Social Media

Let's Graduate - A thematic analysis of the Let's Play phenomenon

Open access
Fjællingsdal, Kristoffer·2014·Unpublished
DOI 10.13140/rg.2.1.5008.3605
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

A thematic analysis was conducted in order to reveal and identify central themes composing the motivational aspects of the popular Let’s Play media phenomenon. Nine informants with various connections to Let’s Plays were interviewed online through the use of a 17-item interview survey developed by the researcher. A total of five major recurring themes were discovered relating to the informants’ motivational reasons for making and viewing Let’s Plays as part of their spare time activities. Based on these discoveries, it can be assumed that the Let’s Play phenomenon contributes to modern-day need fulfillment relating to online socialization, entertainment, technological competence, commercialization and interpersonal relations between the media audience and the media personalities they follow. It was concluded that the Let’s Play phenomenon, and the communities contained within it, holds potential for the future development of videogame industry as a whole as well as being an interesting new arena for media research in general. Implications for further research within the field of Let’s Plays are therefore made in order to ensure the possibility of expanding the scientific knowledge surrounding this media phenomenon.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

DataCite · 10.13140/rg.2.1.5008.3605

Cites

6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Let's Plays are often uploaded to video sharing websites such as YouTube and Twitch, where one can subscribe to the Let's Player, leave comments and feedback and message the Let's Player privately.

    “Let's Plays are often uploaded to video sharing websites where one can subscribe to the Let's Player, leave comments and feedback and message the Let's Player privately, such as YouTube and Twitch (Fjællingsdal, 2014: 11 1).”

    From Basic hermeneutic approaches to interpretation of videogames (2019) · cites this paper as Fjællingsdal, 2014

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 63

  1. Aarseth, E. (2004). Genre Trouble: Narrativism and the Art of Simulation. In N. Wardrip- Fruin & P. Harrigan (Eds), First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  2. Abuhamdeh, S., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2004). The artistic personality: A systems perspective. In R.J. Sternberg, E.L. Grigorenko, & J.L. Singer (Eds.), Creativity: From potential to realization (pp. 31-42). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  3. Bandura, A. (1982). Self-Efficacy Mechanism in Human Agency. American Psychologist, 37(2), 122-147.
  4. Bartle, R. (2014). Design Principles: Use and Misuse. In T. Quandt & S. Kröger (Eds), Multiplayer: The Social Aspects of Digital Gaming. New York: Routledge.
  5. Bartsch, A., & Viehoff, R. (2010). The Use of Media Entertainment and Emotional Gratification. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 2247-2255. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.444 · DOI
  6. Bartsch, A., & Oliver, M.B. (2011). Making Sense of Entertainment: On the Interplay of Emotion and Cognition in Entertainment Experience. Journal of Media Psychology, 23(1), 12-17. doi: 10.1027/1864-1105/a000026 · DOI
  7. Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K.D. (2001). Bad Is Stronger Than Good. Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323-370. doi: 10.1037//1089-2680.5.4.323 · DOI · Paper page
  8. Blanchard, A.L., & Markus, M.L. (2002). Sense of Virtual Community -Maintaining the Experience of Belonging. Proceedings of the 35th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2002.
  9. Buckingham, D., & Scanlon, M. (2005). Selling learning: Towards a Political Economy of Edutainment Media. Media, Culture and Society, 27(1), 41-58.
  10. Cairns, P., Cox, A.L., Day, M., Martin, H. & Perryman, T. (2013). Who but no where: The effect of social play on immersion in digital games. International Journal of Human- Computer Studies, 71, 1069-1077. doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2013.08.015 · DOI
  11. Cha, J. (2012). Usage of video sharing websites: Drivers and barriers. Telematics and Informatics, 31, 16-26. doi:10.1016/j.tele.2012.01.003 · DOI
  12. Chiu, C-M., Hsu, M-H., & Wang, E.T.G. (2006). Understanding knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An integration of social capital and social cognitive theories. Decision Support Systems, 42, 1872-1888. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2006.04.001 · DOI
  13. Cohen, E.L. (2013). What makes good games go viral? The role of technology use, efficacy, emotion and enjoyment in players' decisions to share a prosocial digital game. Computers in Human Behavior, 33, 321-329. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.013 · DOI
  14. Coyne, R. (2003). Mindless repetition: Learning from computer games. Design Studies, 24(3). doi: 10.1016/S0142-694X(02)00052-2 · DOI
  15. De Valck, K., van Bruggen, G.H., & Wierenga, B. (2009). Virtual communities: A marketing perspective. Decision Support Systems, 47, 185-203. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2009.02.008 · DOI
  16. Dholakia, U.M., Bagozzi, R.P., & Pearo, L.K. (2004). A social influence model of consumer participation in network-and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21, 241-263. doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2003.12.004 · DOI
  17. Dunn, E.W., Gilbert, D.T., & Wilson, T.D. (2011). If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21, 115-125. doi: 10.1016/j.jcps.2011.02.002 · DOI
  18. Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S., Smith, J.H., & Tosca, S.P. (2013). Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction. New York: Routledge.
  19. Elliott, R., Fischer, C.T., & Rennie, D.L. (1999). Evolving guidelines for publication of qualitative research studies in psychology and related fields. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 215-229.
  20. Ermi, L., & Mäyrä, F. (2005). Fundamental Components of the Gameplay Experience: Analysing Immersion. Changing Views: Worlds in Play. Selected Papers of the 2005 Digital Games Research Association's Second International Conference, 15-27.
  21. Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117- 140. doi: 10.1177/001872675400700202 · DOI · Paper page
  22. Gable, S.L., Reis, H.T., Impett, E.A., & Asher, E.R. (2004). What Do You Do When Things Go Right? The Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Benefits of Sharing Positive Events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(2), 228-245. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.87.2.228 · DOI
  23. Greitemeyer, T., & Osswald, S. (2010). Effects of Prosocial Video Games on Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(2), 211-221. doi: 10.1037/a0016997 · DOI
  24. Greitemeyer, T., Osswald, S., & Brauer, M. (2010). Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases Empathy and Decreases Schadenfreude. Emotion, 10(6), 796-802. doi: 10.1037/a0020194 · DOI
  25. Hargittai, E., & Walejko, G. (2008). The participation divide: Content creation and sharing in the digital age. Information, Communication & Society, 11(2), 239-256. doi: 10.1080/13691180801946150 · DOI
  26. Haridakis, P., & Hanson, G. (2009). Social Interaction and Co-Viewing With YouTube: Blending Mass Communication Reception and Social Connection. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53(2), 317-335. doi: 10.1080/08838150902908270 · DOI · Paper page
  27. Hartmann, T., Jung, Y., & Vorderer, P. (2012). What Determines Video Game Use? The Impact of Users' Habits, Addictive Tendencies, and Intentions to Play. Journal of Media Psychology, 24(1), 19-30. doi: 10.1027/1864-1105/a000059 · DOI
  28. Herodotou, C., Kambouri, M., & Winters, N. (2014). Dispelling the myth of the socio- emotionally dissatisfied gamer. Computers in Human Behavior, 32, 23-31. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.054 · DOI
  29. Howitt, D. (2010). Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Psychology. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
  30. Hsu, M-H., Ju, T.L., Yen, C-H., & Chang, C-M. (2007). Knowledge sharing behavior in virtual communities: The relationship between trust, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 65, 153-169. doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2006.09.003 · DOI
  31. Jenkins, H. (2004). Game Design as Narrative Architecture. In N. Wardrip-Fruin & P. Harrigan (Eds), First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  32. Kannan, P.K., Chang, A-M., & Whinston, A.B. (2000). Electronic Communities in E- Business: Their Role and Issues. Information Systems Frontiers, 1(4), 415-426.
  33. Kim, Y.A., & Phalak, R. (2012). A trust prediction framework in rating-based experience sharing social networks without a Web of Trust. Information Sciences, 191, 128-145. doi: 10.1016/j.ins.2011.12.021 · DOI
  34. Kirkpatrick, G. (2012). Constitutive Tensions of Gaming's Field: UK gaming magazines and the formation of gaming culture 1981-1995. The International Journal of Computer Game Research, 12(1). Retrieved from http://gamestudies.org/1201/articles/
  35. Lambert, S., & O'Halloran, E. (2008). Deductive thematic analysis of a female paedophilia website. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 15(2), 284-300. doi: 10.1080/13218710802014469 · DOI
  36. Latham, A.J., Patston, L.L.M., & Tippett, L.J. (2013). The virtual brain: 30 years of video- game play and cognitive abilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00629 · DOI
  37. Lin, H-F. (2008). Determinants of successful virtual communities: Contributions from system characteristics and social factors. Information & Management, 45, 522-527. doi:10.1016/j.im.2008.08.002 · DOI
  38. Lull, J. (2000). Media, Communication, Culture: A Global Approach. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  39. Maslow, A. (2000). A Theory of Human Motivation. (Reprinted from Psychological Review, (1943), 50, 370-396.
  40. Meyrick, J. (2006). What is Good Qualitative Research? A First Step towards a Comprehensive Approach to Judging Rigour/Quality. Journal of Health Psychology, 11(5), 799-808. doi: 10.1177/1359105306066643 · DOI · Paper page
  41. Moran, J.M., Rain, M., Page-Gould, E., & Mar, R.A. (2014). Do I amuse you? Asymmetric predictors for humor appreciation and humor production. Journal of Research in Personality, 49, 8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2013.12.002 · DOI
  42. Patall, E.A. (2013). Constructing Motivation Through Choice, Interest, and Interestingness. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(2), 522-534. doi: 10.1037/a0030307 · DOI
  43. Park, N., Jung, Y., & Lee, K.M. (2011). Intention to upload video content on the internet: The role of social norms and ego-involvement. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 1996- 2004. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.05.006 · DOI
  44. Rainie, L., & Wellman, B. (2012). Networked: The New Social Operating System. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  45. Reinecke, L. (2009). Games and Recovery: The Use of Video and Computer Games to Recuperate from Stress and Strain. Journal of Media Psychology, 21(3), 126-142. doi: 10.1027/1864-1105.21.3.126 · DOI
  46. Rheingold, H. (2008). Virtual communities -exchanging ideas through computer bulletin boards. In H. Rheingold, Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 1. (Reprinted from Whole Earth Review, (1987), 2-5.
  47. Rubin, A.M., & Perse, E.M. (1987). Audience Activity and Soap Opera Involvement: A Uses and Effects Investigation. Human Communication Research, 14(2), 246-268.
  48. Ruch, W., & Hehl, F-J. (1993). Humor appreciation and needs: Evidence from questionnaire-, self-, and peer-rating data. Personality and Individual Differences, 15(4), 433-445.
  49. Russoniello, C.V., O'Brien, K., & Parks, J.M. (2009). The effectiveness of casual video games in improving mood and decreasing stress. Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation, 2(1), 53-66.
  50. Ryan, R.M., & Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. doi: 10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.68 · DOI · Paper page
  51. Ryan, R.M., Rigby, C.S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The Motivational Pull of Video Games: A Self-Determination Theory Approach. Motiv Emot, 1-17. doi: 10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8 · DOI · Paper page
  52. Saleem, M., Anderson, C.A., & Gentile, D.A. (2012). Effects of Prosocial, Neutral, and Violent Video Games on College Students' Affect. Aggressive Behavior, 38, 263-271. doi: 10.1002/ab.21427 · DOI
  53. Schell, J. (2008). The Art of Game Design. A Book of Lenses. Florida: CRC Press.
  54. Sorathia, K., & Servidio, R. (2012). Learning and Experience: Teaching Tangible Interaction & Edutainment. Procedia -Social and Behavioral Sciences, 64, 265-274. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.031 · DOI
  55. Spaulding, T. (2010). How can virtual communities create value for business? Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 9, 38-49. doi:10.1016/j.elerap.2009.07.004 · DOI
  56. Stever, G.S. (2009). Parasocial and Social Interaction with Celebrities: Classification of Media Fans. Journal of Media Psychology, 14(3).
  57. Tonteri, L., Kosonen, M., Ellonen, H-K., & Tarkiainen, A. (2011). Antecedents of an experienced sense of virtual community. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 2215- 2223. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.06.018 · DOI · Paper page
  58. Tønnesvang, J. (2006). The Structure of Self-Realization. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 26, 51-77.
  59. Wang, C.K.J., Khoo, A., Liu, W.C., & Divaharan, S. (2008). Passion and Intrinsic Motivation in Digital Gaming. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1), 39-45. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2007.0004 · DOI
  60. Weibel, D., Wissmath, B., Habegger, S., Steiner, Y., & Groner, R. (2008). Playing online games against computer-vs. human-controlled opponents: Effects on presence, flow and enjoyment. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 2274-2291. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2007.11.002 · DOI
  61. Williams, D. (2006). Why Game Studies Now? Games & Culture, 1(1), 1-4. doi: 10.1177/1555412005281774 · DOI
  62. Yee, N. (2006). Motivations for Play in Online Games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(6), 772-775.
  63. Yee, N. (2014). The Proteus Paradox. how online games and virtual worlds change us -and how they don't. London: Yale University Press.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Fjællingsdal, K.
Corresponding author
Fjællingsdal, Kristoffer
ORCID
Fjællingsdal, Kristoffer
Venue
Unpublished
Publisher
Unpublished
Published
2014
DOI
10.13140/rg.2.1.5008.3605
OpenAlex
W294090322
Cited by
3
References
6
Citations by year
2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2015: 1
Type
dissertation
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway)) (submittedVersion)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • 74
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Media and Digital Communication
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
Keywords
Let's Play, viewer motivation, online socialization, entertainment, technological competence, commercialization, online communities, video game industry, spare time activities

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review