For the Player, by the Player

Online communities are a new an unique form of human gathering. Unencumbered by distances, people from anywhere in the world can come together and share their shared interest. Rather than form out of convenience or necessity, these communities are based on passion. People who come together online to discuss their favorite video games are no different. They seek out other players so that they can learn more about the games they pursue and attain higher levels of skill or knowledge. Often times, these communities of players elevate the game to higher levels than the creators even intended, creating vast tournaments that draw in people from several miles. This book examines one such community of players, devoted to the game Super Smash Bros. Melee. It first looks at the history of video games and how they were historically used as a social medium, and then examines how the embracing of online play has increased the social capabilities of such games manifold.

Andrew Fiddner obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Haverford College in 2007. He was always fascinated by the ways in which specific communities will form online, and chose to investigate a specific group of people devoted to a video game for his senior research project.