THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-EXPRESSION IN GAMING
Gamers have always looked for themselves in the characters they play. Kinetix CEO Yassine Tahi is confident they always will
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n the ever-evolving world of gaming, there’s a constant: the need for players to express themselves. 46% of gamers now list “creation, imagination and self-expression” as not just
important factors, but their main motivations for gaming. This shift reflects broader cultural trends, with Gen Z spending more time playing video games than watching linear TV, and games increasingly competing for attention with social media platforms. As the human self becomes an amalgam of individuals’ ‘IRL’
and digital personas, the options for self-expression in games have evolved from simple character customisations to complex systems for players to create and share their unique identities. Today, gamers use in-game customisation to reflect their personality, preferences, and values, mirroring trends seen in social media, fashion, music, and art. This article will explore the importance of self-expression in gaming and how it shapes our experiences, fuels our passions and connects us with communities. We’ll dive into how we can trace its roots, understand its current impact, and discover the trends that will shape the future of self-expression in gaming.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT The origins of meaningful self-expression in gaming can arguably be traced back to tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and RuneQuest. These games allowed players to create and customise characters by choosing race, gender, stats, skills, and background, laying the groundwork for digital character creation. One of the first true experiences of a computerised character creation system came with 1981’s “Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,” which brought advanced RPG elements to a digital screen. Released initially on the Apple II and later ported
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to other platforms, Ultima 1 was a pioneering step in character customisation. In 1989, “Funny Face” offered one of the first online human-style face customisation games designed for children.
Since those early days, routes for self-expression in gaming
have grown dramatically. The early 2000s saw titles like “The Sims” and “Second Life” allow players to create detailed virtual personas, while multiplayer games like “Call of Duty: MW2” introduced unique player identifiers such as calling cards and avatar celebrations in 2009.
Advancements in graphics and online connectivity over the past decade have expanded these opportunities exponentially. What began with basic avatar customisation and pre-made skins has evolved into highly sophisticated systems that allow for extensive personalisation.
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