"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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