My Avatar, My Self ─ Identity in Video Role-playing Games

With videogames now one of the world's most popular diversions, the virtual world has increasing psychological influence on real-world players. This book examines the relationships between virtual and non-virtual identity in visual role-playing games. Utilizing James Gee's theoretical constructs of real-world identity, virtual-world identity, and projective identity, this research shows dynamic, varying and complex relationships between the virtual avatar and the player's sense of self and makes recommendations of terminology for future identity researchers. Features 15 photographs of videogame screens, and an appendix of sample videogame transcription data.

Zach Waggoner has a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Arizona State University, where he currently teaches professional writing, videogame theory and Teaching Assistant training.