This thesis is an investigation of ‘Gamer Girlfriends’ and deconstructs the stereotypes surrounding this particular phenomenon by presenting the accounts of the lived experiences of those who may be labelled as a ‘Gamer Girlfriend’. In its place, the term ‘Gamer Girlfriends’ gestures towards the complexity of affective relationships at the nexus of gaming, romantic relationships and the experiences of women. Exploring the particular barriers in gaming faced by women, this research has conducted interviews with women who have played videogames with their partners, so as to form a more nuanced and multifaceted picture of the role of women in gaming. This thesis critically examines the dynamics of what are otherwise considered to be positive relationships, and examines how these dynamics may impact on women’s experiences of gaming.
Focusing on relationship dynamics and the interplay of gender, constructs a framework that apprehends gaming as a culture which is situated within wider social contexts, rather than insulated or segregated from everyday lived experiences. This thesis uses the critical identity theory of existential feminism to shed light on the underlying heteronormative limitations imposed by the games industry, the gaming ‘community’, and media
discourses. This research’s ethnographic data is analysed with the theories of ‘affective labour’ and ‘gender performativity’. These discussions explore the negotiations and sways of affective powers in relationship dynamics, traditional gender roles, and the ‘hypermasculinity’ of gaming culture, conveyed in the ‘modulation’ of gender
performance and gaming practices – the limited ‘modes’ in which women are afforded to express themselves in gaming.
