"Because it just looks cool!": Fashion as character performance: The Case of WoW

Susana Pajares Tosca, Lisbeth Klastrup

    Research output: Journal Article or Conference Article in JournalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper explores the neglected area of clothing and fashion in computer games, particularly MMORPGs, which we claim is an important aspect of game aesthetics and player performance. Combining knowledge from the cultural studies of fashion with a study of the function and importance of clothing in the gameworld World of Warcraft (WoW), and drawing on qualitative methods, we argue that fashion in an online gameworld like WoW is a vehicle for personal storytelling and individualization.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalJournal of Virtual Worlds Research
    Volume1
    Issue number3
    Pages (from-to)1-17
    Number of pages17
    ISSN1941-8477
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

    Keywords

    • Clothing
    • Game design
    • MMORPGs
    • Cultural studies of fashion
    • Gameworld clothing function
    • players
    • World of Warcraft
    • storytelling

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