- 學位論文
玩家勞動：以商品化概念對線上遊戲玩家的反思。
Player as Labor: Commodification, Structuration, and Online game Player.
摘要
線上遊戲此一新興娛樂媒體產業，已發展出龐大的產值與規模，同時也引發許多社會關注的議題。社會上普遍認為玩家是因為線上遊戲「好玩」（fun）而沉迷於其中，但是對玩家來說，實際經驗卻遠為複雜。他們除了從遊戲中得到愉悅之外，也面對著某種結構性制約，陷入矛盾處境；應有更深入的探討。 基於此，本研究採用傳播批判政治經濟學的觀點，試圖瞭解在「遊戲」、「娛樂」、「好玩」的表象迷思下，線上遊戲與玩家間存在著什麼樣的關係。首先是以「商品化」（commodificaiton）概念作為切入點，探討線上遊戲的客觀結構，以及在這樣的客觀結構下，玩家可能受到了什麼樣的制約。 除此之外，玩家也是具有能動性的社會行動者，因此本研究亦採取結構化（structuration）的觀點，來看待玩家的能動性與客觀結構之間的辯證關係。並以目前產值以及玩家人數最多的【魔獸世界】為分析對象。 本研究發現，玩家在廠商的結構引導下，被轉換成了為其生產商品、創造剩餘價值的勞動者。而玩家們的能動性既是自願性的，也會產生了相互制約的強制力。玩家們在遊戲時，不僅是消費者，也是一個勞動者，既是愉悅、自願的，也是受到制約與剝削的，並與廠商形成一種既辯證又合作的關係。
並列摘要
Online game has developed into a prosperous entertainment industry, and also caused many considerable social issues. Online game players are widely regarded as indulging in playing game, however, their real experiences are much more complicated. Indeed, players can have pleasures in playing online game while at the same time, they are also constrained by the structure of online game. Taking critical political economy of communication as research approach, the thesis aims to explore the relationship between online game and players. Firstly, by applying the theoretical framework of ‘commodification’ as start point, the operational structure of online game and how the players are constrained. Secondly, as the players are also social actors that having their own agency, the dialectical relationship between the online game industrial structure and the players is examined by referring to the concept of ‘structuration’. For completing these inquiries, the most popular and largest online game in the global market, ‘World of Warcraft’ (WoW), is selected as the case being studied. The thesis concludes that the players are transformed into labors who produce the commodities and surplus values for the online game capitals. On the one hand, the players are voluntary to participate in the production processes, but on the other hand, they are ‘stuck’ on the processes by the mutual sanction among players. The players are willing to labor but also are constrained and exploited. There is a dialectic, contradictory and cooperative relationship between the player and the capital.