2022
Meriläinen, Mikko
Pandemic Rhythms: Adults' Gaming in Finland During the Spring 2020 COVID-19 Restrictions Journal Article
In: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. Pre-print, 2022, ISSN: 1354-8565.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Coping, COVID-19, Digital gaming, Everyday life, Family, Non-digital gaming, Rhythm analysis, Situated gaming, Thematic analysis
@article{Meriläinen2022b,
title = {Pandemic Rhythms: Adults' Gaming in Finland During the Spring 2020 COVID-19 Restrictions},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202203232696},
doi = {10.1177/13548565221077582},
issn = {1354-8565},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-02},
journal = {Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies},
volume = {Pre-print},
abstract = {This qualitative study examines how the spring 2020 COVID-19 restriction measures impacted adults’ gaming in Finland. The study draws on a thematic analysis of qualitative data (N = 201) collected in April 2020, which is explored through the lens of Apperley’s (2010) theory of gaming rhythms. The results illuminate the ways in which gaming was situated in everyday life both during and before the COVID-19 restrictions, and how the pandemic and its associated restrictions disrupted, reinforced, and reconfigured the everyday rhythms of gaming. The situation impacted individuals and families differently, being beneficial to some and detrimental to others, contingent on other aspects of respondents’ lives. The results underline how an individual’s gaming does not happen in isolation, but takes place in the confines of everyday life, shaped by factors outside the individual’s control. Developing Apperley’s theory, the results show that gaming can be a very resilient activity, given the right circumstances.},
keywords = {Coping, COVID-19, Digital gaming, Everyday life, Family, Non-digital gaming, Rhythm analysis, Situated gaming, Thematic analysis},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This qualitative study examines how the spring 2020 COVID-19 restriction measures impacted adults’ gaming in Finland. The study draws on a thematic analysis of qualitative data (N = 201) collected in April 2020, which is explored through the lens of Apperley’s (2010) theory of gaming rhythms. The results illuminate the ways in which gaming was situated in everyday life both during and before the COVID-19 restrictions, and how the pandemic and its associated restrictions disrupted, reinforced, and reconfigured the everyday rhythms of gaming. The situation impacted individuals and families differently, being beneficial to some and detrimental to others, contingent on other aspects of respondents’ lives. The results underline how an individual’s gaming does not happen in isolation, but takes place in the confines of everyday life, shaped by factors outside the individual’s control. Developing Apperley’s theory, the results show that gaming can be a very resilient activity, given the right circumstances.
2021
Koskinen, Elina; Meriläinen, Mikko
Social Playfulness—Memorable Family Co-play Experiences with Pokémon GO Book Section
In: Spanellis, Agnessa; Harviainen, J. Tuomas (Ed.): Transforming Society and Organizations through Gamification, pp. 247-270, Springer International, 2021, ISBN: 9783030682064.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Family, Location-based game, Player experience, Playfulness, Pokémon Go
@incollection{Koskinen2021,
title = {Social Playfulness—Memorable Family Co-play Experiences with Pokémon GO},
author = {Elina Koskinen and Mikko Meriläinen},
editor = {Agnessa Spanellis and J. Tuomas Harviainen
},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-68207-1_13},
isbn = {9783030682064},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-08},
booktitle = {Transforming Society and Organizations through Gamification},
pages = {247-270},
publisher = {Springer International},
abstract = {Pokémon GO, a very popular location-based augmented reality game, has appealed to a wide range of age groups and encouraged entire families to play. This chapter examines family social interactions in the context of digital gaming through an exploratory qualitative survey study (n = 263) of Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences. We studied siblings and partners in addition to children and parents to chart the many forms of family interaction around Pokémon GO. Our results suggest that playing digital games in a family context can facilitate diverse positive experiences and interactions and support family bonding, but this is contingent on a variety of gameplay features. In the case of Pokémon GO, a key element was the playful mindset elicited by the game, in turn encouraged by its location-based gameplay. Pokémon GO can augment everyday interactions by adding a playful layer to them, since it is easily embedded in and combined with other activities.
},
keywords = {Family, Location-based game, Player experience, Playfulness, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Pokémon GO, a very popular location-based augmented reality game, has appealed to a wide range of age groups and encouraged entire families to play. This chapter examines family social interactions in the context of digital gaming through an exploratory qualitative survey study (n = 263) of Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences. We studied siblings and partners in addition to children and parents to chart the many forms of family interaction around Pokémon GO. Our results suggest that playing digital games in a family context can facilitate diverse positive experiences and interactions and support family bonding, but this is contingent on a variety of gameplay features. In the case of Pokémon GO, a key element was the playful mindset elicited by the game, in turn encouraged by its location-based gameplay. Pokémon GO can augment everyday interactions by adding a playful layer to them, since it is easily embedded in and combined with other activities.