“I am the character, the character is me”: A thematic analysis of the user-avatar relationship in videogames

Far from merely being a tool to navigate a virtual world, individuals can often develop strong and complex relationships with their videogame characters. The present study examined the bond that can develop between a user and their avatar, as well as factors that can influence this relationship dynamic through the use of thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 videogame players from the UK and US aged between 18 and 27 years. The results identified five major themes, comprising: (i) heterogeneity of game worlds; (ii) avatar attachment; (iii) game experiences affecting physical world behaviour and attitudes; (iv) types of self in a virtual world (with the sub-themes of actual self, idealised self, and utopian self); and (v) game difficulty affecting user-avatar relationship. The results showed gamers use their avatars as a means to insert a virtual version of themselves into the videogame or to attain a desired version of the self, sometimes including elements of fantasy. In addition, participants indicated that games with an advanced difficulty and avatar customisation appeared to facilitate stronger bonds to a character. Finally, several avenues of future research are discussed, in particular pertaining to the advancement of research relating to the Proteus effect.