Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Hispanic Studies
Supervisor
Suárez, Juan-Luis
Abstract
Video games have become an important part of the global popular cultures that are connecting broader audiences of all ages around the world. A recent phenomenon that has lasted almost ten years is the creation and upload of gaming-related videos on YouTube, where Let’s Plays have a considerable presence. Let’s Plays are videos of people playing video games, usually including the game footage and narrated by the players themselves. In this work I use the metadata, of popular channels and their videos to analyze the current state of video game culture in YouTube and what is the role of Let's Plays in this ecosystem. To explore the video game culture, I focused on the main topics that the channel creators use as tags. To address the role of Let’s Plays and fan production I found communities of channels which are connected through shared interests. This research will provide useful information about how video game culture in YouTube looks like and why Let’s Plays carry a big role in the platform.
Recommended Citation
Ruiz Segarra, Ana, "A Data-Driven Analysis of Video Game Culture and the Role of Let's Plays in YouTube" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5934.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5934
Included in
Digital Humanities Commons, Leisure Studies Commons, Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons