The “Achievement Culture”: Gaming as Work in Diablo III
The “Achievement Culture”: Gaming as Work in Diablo III
Author(s): Mihai BurlacuSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Sociology
Published by: Editura Universitatii Transilvania din Brasov
Keywords: digital anthropology; digital culture; achievement system; webs of significance
Summary/Abstract: The dynamics involved in the development of Role Playing Games (i.e. RPGs) were previously associated in digital anthropology with the economic goals of the developers and producers (Rettberg, 2007, p. 24). In this article, I reconsider the attraction that Diablo III is meant to engender among players. I also review the features that transform this game from an entertainment platform into a simulacrum that entails countless hours of repetitive work. I conclude that Diablo III represents an elaborate metaphor of achievement through work.
Journal: Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov, Series VII: Social Sciences and Law
- Issue Year: 9/2016
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 59-64
- Page Count: 6
- Language: English