The reality of virtual romance : investigating romantic relationships in video games

• Main Authors: Chua, Caris Xin Yi, Munifa Shaza Mohammad Fadilah, Nur Sabrena Abdul Kadir
• Other Authors: Vivian Chen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Communication::Communication theories and models
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/147231
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Traditional video game literature often depicts the medium as a form of escapist entertainment. However, with video games as a popular medium now used to remain connected to work and romance amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a reinvestigation of the medium's use for non-entertainment and functional purposes is salient. This phenomenon makes apparent the increasing permeability of the virtual and real-world boundaries, with many constantly navigating between both worlds. However, few studies have examined why or how the virtual and real worlds are intertwined, allowing games to be used for functional purposes today. With romantic relationships as the focus of this study, this paper sets out to reconceptualise prior beliefs of the virtual-real boundary as impermeable into one that is porous. Through a conceptual framework that integrates frame analysis, function of the half-real, mediated intimacy strategies and social presence, this qualitative study investigates how players perceive this transition between worlds and understand intimacy in the game environment. Analysis of 47 in-depth interviews showed that video games facilitate the navigation of romantic relationships between the real and virtual worlds, but the transition is often not fully seamless, and differs for each romantic couple.