Email Interviews in Player Research: The Case of The Sims 2 Skinners

Abstract

This article discusses the advantages and challenges of email interviewing in player research that concentrates on players’ identity work online. Building on the Cultural Studies tradition of ethnographic interviewing and feminist researchers’ interest in ethically accountable researcher– participant relationships, the article explores how email supports the creation of more equal interview settings and allows benefi ts such as cross-fertilization and generous disclosure of players’ experiences due to asynchrony and remote exchange. The study concentrates on players who create new and altered content, game modifi cations, for The Sims 2 game, and share these with their peers on a Finnish The Sims 2 online forum.