This thesis explores participatory behaviour in gaming communities, and seeks to draw parallels between the motivations of players to participate in a game’s experience, and the civic values that get citizens to participate in the life of a city.
The first chapter looks at how the Internet has facilitated collaborative creation, and then show how games encourage participative behaviours.
The second chapter looks at the reasons behind why games are inciteful of participation. It reflects on the creation in games through the lens of “worlds”, as defined by Hannah Arendt, and explores the effects of digital reproduction on the “aura” of a game. Finally it looks at appropriative behaviours, such as modding and the creation of identity.
The third chapter looks at games through the prism of “places”, as defined by Marc Augé, and draws parallels with forms of participation to urban spaces. It concludes with the approaches of designers to participatory projects and gamification in a city context.