Conference PaperPDF Available

Gamified Doll-Dramas: Provocations, Playbor and Participatory Play Practices in the Age of iTV

Authors:

Abstract

This work-in-progress paper presents a study on mature toy players and their gamified activities related to production of serial narratives of toy characters shared on social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Our research builds on two case studies of doll-dramas, or visually and socially shared toy stories, demonstrating how Barbie dolls are employed as characters in serial and interactive storytelling targeted to adult audiences. The focus of the paper is in investigating the gamified dimensions of interaction between mature players participating in the creation and consumption of doll-dramas. We ask how the creators of doll-dramas as the authoring players and hosts invite others to join in their game: to participate in the cultivation of the provocative storylines through persuasion strategies recognized from gamification. Our goal is to investigate how the relationships between acts of playbor, game-like player persuasion strategies, and active viewership of doll-dramas develop to participatory play practices and experiences familiar from the consumption of Interactive TV (iTV).
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
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
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     
  
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


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 
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
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      
 
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     

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      
    

     
     
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 
     
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       
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 
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 
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    


   



       







  

    
    


 




 

 

 
 






 

 



















 
  
 





      


         

   
 

       
  




 








     
        
      

   

       





 
         
         




   
  



     
        
         
    
 
    







  


    
       


 










       
      



  
     
  




 
 

 
 
 
      





 

 
 
  


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
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
    
   
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 
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
 

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  
 
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 
 
    

 
       
 
 
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
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
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 
 
   
    
   
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



 
  
 

   


  
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 
 
 
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 

      
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 
  
 
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   
  
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
  
    
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  
      

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
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 



 
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  

 
     
  

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   
   
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

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 
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     
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
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




 




  
 
    
 
 

    

 
    

 



    






    
  
 


 
 

 
  
        
  
 


 


   
       
 
 
       



  
       

  

 













   







    
     
 
  
   
 
 


  

 
  

 



 

  

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


  
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

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
 
 

 
   

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

         

      
 
 
    
 
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
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
 
   
  
  



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



 
   
  
    
 
 

  
 





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   
    

   


  
   
 
    


    

 





 

      
  
  

  
 
  
  
     
   
    

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     
 

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

     
 


      
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    
 

     
 
      






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         

     


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   

      

   
    










  
 
  

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 
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 
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  
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  
  
  

  

 


    
 



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 

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 
   
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



  


   

  

       






 

   
 






 
     







       
  


 


   




 
   
 
       
 



      
  
        
  
   
    




     
  
  
    



 
 
  
     


  
    









    

  
 


 
       
        

   
 
   


 

    


   
    






 














  
  
       


       
        
   

    

 

      
      



          


 
    

         
 


     

  
    

     
    
  

        


... He considers this ability in adults a metaplay function because it involves professionally playing with play (Sutton-Smith, 2017). One example of metaplay is the creation and consumption of "doll dramas" with adult players who transform into playborers and who act both as content creators and game hosts by providing viewers and other players with content created through their own play (Heljakka & Tuomi, 2020). Contemporary doll dramas, which are built up as soap opera-like serial narratives, act as a prime example of how play transforms into playbor via persuasion strategies, such as participation through entertaining content creation, and into consumption through active viewership. ...
Chapter
In this chapter, we discuss the meanings of playfulness, play, and playthings for adult players in the contexts of leisure, work, and pleasure. The focus is on mature players-playborers, kidults, and toy enthusiasts-who in their activities represent major groups of adult players. On the one hand, we discuss how playfulness and play that are usually connected with leisure are influencing a context previously considered as productive and therefore serious, that is, current work life. Recognizing the first category of playing adults as "playborers", we demonstrate how they not only engage with playful environments and organizational cultures in work but also act as the professionals of play who produce entertaining and interactive content for others to consume. On the other hand, we discuss the rise of "kidults" and adult toy players who, as active agents in an era described as ludic (Sutton-Smith, 1997), have come to illustrate how a growing number of adults (in addition to children) express interest in paidic activities and consumption patterns. In this way, the chapter aims to highlight the effects of the childlike propensity of the mature homo ludens-the adult player-to simultaneously engage in consumption, production, and playful creative activities.
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