Geared For Growth: An ethnographic inquiry into the relationships between competitive video games, the experiences they evince, and their players, through the lens of Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2 and its dedicated playerbase.

Abstract

This thesis examines the aesthetic experience of engaging with acclaimed video game Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2 (GGXrd) by drawing on research predicated on extensive participant-observation and interview performed over a period of eight months. It focuses on three vectors: 1) The imaginations of valued aspects of the play experience. It finds poetism and potential for self-actualization/realization in play of GGXrd through a rigorous culture of self-improvement and communities of practice. 2) Unravelling the structure of the communities built around the game and examining the effects that the pandemic has had. While the scene has suffered, it has paradoxically grown—a result of the coming release of Guilty Gear STRIVE and its marketing. 3) Scrutinizing the relationship between the players of GGXrd and its creators, calling into question the industry-standard marketing practices, finding that the trajectory of such choices is counter to what GGXrd players esteem.