Thematic Analysis of Lifestyle in SIMS (Video Game)

Subject Areas : Media Management

Behrouz Minaei ¹ , Seyed Mohammad Ali Seyed Hosseini ²

1 - عضو هیئت‌علمی دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران، دانشکده مهندسی کامپیوتر
2 - عهده دار مکاتبات

Received: 2015-04-03 Accepted : 2015-06-04 Published : 2015-04-21

Keywords: Lifestyle, Video Game, consumption, Simulation, SIMS,

Abstract :

This Article studies a simulated lifestyle in “The SIMS 3” which is one of the best seller computer games. The Research’s aim is identifying simulated model of life in this video game which was developed in Simulation genre. According to differences which exist in the nature of digital games (a type of interactive media) and mass media, in this article two qualitative methods were used to approach research’s aim. The two qualitative methods were “participant observation” and “thematic analysis”. The article argues that “The SIMS 3” is a simulation of consumption-oriented lifestyle in which consumption has more semiotic value than it’s functional and exchangeable values.