Monetization & Skyrim, Appropriation & Play
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Monetization & Skyrim, Appropriation & Play by Jeffrey Mundee Bachelor Arts, University of New Brunswick, 2012 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Interdisciplinary Master In the Graduate Academic Unit of Interdisciplinary Studies Supervisor: Lauren Cruikshank, PhD, Culture & Media Studies Examining Board: Ellen Rose, PhD, Education Scott Bateman, PhD, Computer Science Chair: Mary McKenna, PhD, Interdisciplinary This thesis is accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK April, 2020 © Jeffrey Mundee, 2020 ABSTRACT Mods, or user modifications created by fans in games such as Skyrim, are particularly salient illustrations of the hybridity of authorship being discussed in contemporary media studies (Merrin; Jenkins, Fans; Bruns, Blogs). In 2015, Bethesda Softworks and Valve Corporation collaborated on a new monetization model for Skyrim mods. However, it was subsequently shut down four days later due to backlash it prompted from the target community of content creators for Skyrim (McWhertor). This thesis explores expressions of modders around the controversial monetization of Skyrim mods on the Steam Workshop. Using content and discourse analysis I critically examine the “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) thread created by the CEO of Valve Gabe Newell on Reddit.com, April 25, 2015. Using three theories around the lens of modding as play I examined the discourse in this text and found expression of the importance of the assemblage of play (Taylor) in an assemblage of modding, elements of differentiation between professional and leisure production values as playbour (Kücklich), and ways of understanding how to support value generation and monetize participatory production in better ways through produsage (Bruns, ”Produsage”). ii DEDICATION Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin Naal ok zin los vahriin Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal Ahrk fin norok paal graan Fod nust hon zindro zaan Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Lauren Cruikshank, for her guidance and encouragement through each stage of the process. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my committee members Ellen Rose and Scott Bateman, for their insight and support. I would also like to thank Mary McKenna for serving as chair for my proposal and thesis defenses, and Fred Mason for providing helpful feedback in his role as a final thesis examiner. I would also like to thank my course instructors who each introduced valuable concepts, and Rebecca Goodine for her collaboration and urgent optimism during the draft stage of writing. Lastly thank you to my family for support and encouragement, some active, some unknowing. iv Table of Contents ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ v Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 A History of Modding ................................................................................................... 2 The Paid Mods Problem .............................................................................................. 8 Research Context and Literature Review ......................................................................12 Participatory Industry of Online Media ....................................................................... 15 Agency, Participation, and Games ............................................................................ 19 Mod Games Mod Culture .......................................................................................... 20 Skyrim Mods and Mod Monetization.......................................................................... 25 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................28 Point of Enunciation .................................................................................................. 28 Monetization and Appropriation ................................................................................. 29 PC Game Mods and Mod Culture ............................................................................. 31 Games, Mods, and Media are Interdisciplinary .......................................................... 32 Key Theory: Produsage............................................................................................. 34 Key Theory: Playbour ................................................................................................ 37 Key Theory: Assemblage of Play .............................................................................. 39 Research methods ........................................................................................................42 Ethics ........................................................................................................................ 43 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 44 Why computer assisted content analysis? ................................................................. 46 Contextual Content Analysis ..................................................................................... 47 Why Discourse Analysis? .......................................................................................... 48 Discourse Analysis .................................................................................................... 50 v Research Findings.........................................................................................................57 About Gabe Newell ................................................................................................... 53 Computer Assisted Qualitative Content Analysis ....................................................... 55 Sampling Playbour (Kücklich).................................................................................... 59 Sampling Produsage (Bruns) .................................................................................... 61 Sampling Assemblage of play (Taylor) ...................................................................... 62 Research Analysis .........................................................................................................65 Playbour .................................................................................................................... 67 Produsage................................................................................................................. 71 Assemblage of Play .................................................................................................. 75 Analysis Summary .................................................................................................... 82 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................86 Overarching Recurrence ........................................................................................... 86 Presence of Theoretical Frames ............................................................................... 88 The Mods Situation Now ........................................................................................... 91 Relevance ................................................................................................................. 93 Works Cited ................................................................................................................. 100 Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 106 Curriculum Vitae vi Introduction Game modding can be defined as the activity of creating, adding, or modifying existing commercial digital games by players using development tools (Sihvonen). These modified elements are called game mods, and are a major factor in the value proposition of some of the top grossing computer games of all time, including Doom, Quake, The Sims, Skyrim, and World of Warcraft, to name just a few. Mods add significant value to games such as these because they provide a constant stream of fresh and interesting game content created and integrated into the games by their players. These player- creators, or “modders”, are part of a subculture within gamer culture, but also are distinguished in key ways from wider gamer culture. Gamer culture is more often seen as openly adversarial, and often critical toward industry efforts (Jensen and De Castell). Modders are openly collaborative in their work and communication and seen as influencers and champions by the industry. These aspects and differences create conflict whenever these three participants intersect with a game. When the industry or gamer culture shifts in how they engage with mods and modders, some presumptions around the discourse in the mod culture can be unexpected. Modders are often more aligned with industry than gamers might expect or more aligned with gamer culture than industry leaders might hope. Modders are unique agents in many