Articulations of inclusivity within in-game concerts: a comparative multi-case study

de Souza Gandra Camilo, Victor Yago (2024) Articulations of inclusivity within in-game concerts: a comparative multi-case study. MRes thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research will investigate the power of in-game concerts to act as articulators of social connections and inclusivity between their attendees. Despite existing as a category of music consumption since the 2000s, with platforms such as Second Life and Lord of the Rings Online, in-game concerts have entered a new stage in their development and popularity since 2018, with more platforms and artists adhering to (and further developing) the format. This often causes thousands, or millions, of attendees to be simultaneously impacted by a same virtual event and leads to the research questions: (i) in what ways can in-game concerts affect the social experience of music consumption of their attendees and (ii) in what ways can in game concerts be more (or less) inclusive than their non-virtual counterparts? By combining elements from the theory of Liveness, with special attention to the notion of ‘social liveness’ (Auslander, 2008; Couldry, 2004), Social Inclusion Theory (Bailey, 2005; Hayday & Collison, 2020) and Social Dominance Theory (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999; Ong et al., 2021), this research will be carried out as a comparative multi-case study. Special focus will be given to the scene of independent Minecraft festivals (2018-2021) and to the concert by Norwegian singer Aurora in the MMORPG Sky: Children of the Light (2022). The investigation of each of these cases will lead to a comparative analysis, from which reflections on the social power of ingame concerts as a wider category will be drawn.

• Item Type: Thesis (MRes)
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: in-game concerts, inclusivity, social inclusion, virtuality, social liveness.
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts
• Supervisor's Name: Brennan, Professor Matt and Peacock, Dr. Tim
• Date of Award: 2024
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2024-84035
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 18 Jan 2024 12:53
• Last Modified: 19 Jan 2024 14:44
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84035
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84035