Taking Kohut Heinz's theory of
'self-object transferences' . Namely, we want to
have our mutual idealization of ourselves
projected back on to us by an online status
conferral supplied through social
networking.
and modifying it a bit to apply directly to gaming this becomes Avatar-self transference wherein we want to
have our individual idealization of ourselves
projected back on to us through an idealized virtual alter-ego. Our successes through them reinforce and inflate our self-worth.
However, the limit and shape in which we can transfer our avatar's idealization back onto ourselves is set up within the game structure, and ultimately through the game designers in the first place. For example, if one prides one's intelligence, is there any way to reflect that in any character in a fighting game? Only those traits which developers deem necessary or important enough can be achieved through self-object transference in a gaming sense.
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