Journal article
The Demarcation Problem in Multiplayer Games: Boundary-Work in EVE Online's eSport
M CARTER, M Gibbs, M Arnold
Game Studies: the international journal of computer game research | Game Studies | Published : 2015
Abstract
Boundary-work is a theory developed by the sociologist Thomas F. Gieryn which accounts for the process of demarcating scientific and non-scientific intellectual activities. This paper argues that boundary-work is a constructive theory for understanding the processes through which players develop and dispute informal social rules that mediate play in online multiplayer games. The argument is illustrated through application of a boundary-work analysis to a disputed instance of play in an EVE Online tournament.