The digital gamer: an anthropological investigation of on-line gaming communities

Includes bibliographical references (pages 94-103)Over the last ten years, society has become increasingly connected through the various digital mediums. It is so ingrained in post-industrial societies that online digital communities are emerging. One such community revolves around massive online role-playing games (MMORPGs). This thesis provides an anthropological examination of one such community that has evolved out of the undeniably popular World of Warcraft created by Blizzard Entertainment. Using various anthropological methods, this community is examined by understanding play and game theory, how magic and witchcraft are utilized and portrayed in the ???world???, and how it is ties into a greater discourse of post-colonialism and power. Finally, what does this mean to the members of this digital word and if it has any influences on their understandings of the aforementioned topics