Objective Online games have developed into mainstream entertainment: a growing number of gamers communicate and interact in virtual worlds - and spend a good part of their spare time there. However, research has yet to adequately acknowledge this socio-cultural shift toward the mainstream: psychological 'effects' studies and anecdotal case descriptions remain the dominant approaches. The proposed research programme follows a different approach, focusing on the social foundations of online gaming in a holistic way, revolving around the central question of how social order is built and organised in online game environments; i.e. how this affects the so-called 'real life' (the 'out-of-the-game' experience) of the user - and vice versa: how real life affects the experience 'in' the game ('virtual life'). Both the virtual and real lives of the users, as well as the interrelations between the two, will be analysed with reference to social micro-, meso- and macro-levels. The research will start on the macro-level: the first step involves an analysis of the economic and regulatory background to online gaming, based on expert interviews. Overview data on the general status of the social phenomenon will be collected via a survey, using a pre-selected sample drawn from an omnibus study. On the meso-level, the structure of specific user groups will be explored via interviews and observations in real life and in the virtual worlds (immersive research). On the micro-level, the integration of online gaming into the everyday life of individual users will be studied via guided interviews and observations, again both in-game and in real life. All research steps will be repeated using a panel design with three waves, enabling the documentation of temporal changes in this dynamic field. Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-ID1 - ERC Starting Grant Interdisciplinary Panel Call for proposal ERC-2009-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster Address Schlossplatz 2 48149 Muenster Germany See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Münster Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Thorsten Quandt (Prof.) Administrative Contact Katharina Steinberg (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 724 358,51 Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster Germany EU contribution € 724 358,51 Address Schlossplatz 2 48149 Muenster See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Münster Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Thorsten Quandt (Prof.) Administrative Contact Katharina Steinberg (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window UNIVERSITAET HOHENHEIM Participation ended Germany EU contribution € 1 115 841,49 Address Schloss hohenheim 70599 Stuttgart See on map Region Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart Stuttgart, Stadtkreis Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Stephan Dabbert (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window
