Once upon a bit: Ludic identities in Italy, from militant nostalgia to frivolous divertissement

Abstract

The relation between gaming consumption and subcultural feelings represents an issue challenging to explore because of the current multiplication of identity affiliations. Furthermore, games are a cultural sector characterized by constant turning points and a persistent growth of audiences in numerical and variety terms. The ‘game culture’ itself has become an ephemeral concept, while digital entertainment is catalyzing the public attention and influencing the habits of other gaming sectors. This article aims to shed light on the relation between old and new (or less old) ludus as social and identity frame. Applying a mixed approach between Sociology and Cultural Studies, I have interviewed 64 subjects among common players, gatekeepers, association’s leaders, publishers, shop’s owners and game designers associated with non-digital game cultures in Italy. The intent was to explore the impact of the diffusion of digital games on already established gaming environments and then the ‘identity bricolage’ acted by individuals between the two sides.

Authors and Affiliations

Enrico Gandolfi

Keywords

Related Articles

Practicing vaginistic femininity: Doing bodies, enacting normative heterosexuality

Vaginismus is a female sexual pain disorder, characterized by contractions of the pubococcygeus (PC) muscle that surrounds the outer third of the vagina, which makes penetrative penile-vaginal intercourse (coitus), ins...

Utility of online communities – ways one can benefit from one’s online life

As many of today’s social scientists (such as Beck, Giddens, Howard, Vlăsceanu etc) have remarked, the modern age has brought with itself a great series of fast-paced changes in the average man’s lifestyle. Nothing is...

Vocabularies of motives in the education of deaf students

Communication is a foundational step for more elaborated constructions of society such as education or institution. A reverse impact is also present in different forms among which the vocabularies of motives. In specif...

Linking social capital, cultural capital and heterotopia at the folk festival

This paper investigates the role of folk festivals in transforming interconnections between people, space and culture. It interlinks three sets of theoretical ideas: social capital, cultural capital and heterotopia to...

Self-reflection and morality in critical games. Who is to be blamed for war?

‘This war of mine’ is a critical game depicting the war experience from a civilian’s perspective. As a game, it relies on its interactivity in order to offer the player an immersive experience. As a critical game, it c...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP41026
  • DOI -
  • Views 233
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Enrico Gandolfi (2015). Once upon a bit: Ludic identities in Italy, from militant nostalgia to frivolous divertissement. Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology, 6(1), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-41026