As games advance in their capabilities to give the player more options in creating their distinct avatar, more space is open for that individual to express aspects of themselves that is not visible to others, the ego. Interpretation of that person’s self-perception is possible by analysing their avatar. The following discusses the role of the avatar in the games Oblivion and Never Winter Nights 2 and the player’s decisions in the creation of their own avatar.
An avatar is not only a being in a game that a player controls but a being that they can become. According to Toby Gard: in games with a first person point of view, the player plays as if they are personally experiencing the game and unlike third person games where the character is distinctly separate from the character. The person becomes the avatar instead of controlling an actor (pg. 1). This may not be the case of that avatar is designed by the player themselves such as in Never Winter Nights 2 and Oblivion.
According to Bob Rehak concerning cinema, ‘spectator’s are “stitched into” the signifying chain through edits that articulate a plenitude of observed space to an observing viewer’ (pg. 121). Film expresses the subjects to the viewer by depicting the relevant scenes to them and by excluding the irrelevant ones through editing.
Rehak also states how “development should presage a new type of psychological film in which the camera will reveal the human mind, not superficially but honestly in terms of image an sound.”(pg. 120). Though this is a goal for cinema to express the subject’s psychological status through the type of images instead of only through editing, games can already do this through the player’s design of their avatar. For example games such as Oblivion and Never Winter Nights 2 allow one to customize the appearance of their avatars (Fig. 1.1-2.2) so that they players can reveal their ego how they perceive themselves.
“If the mirror stage initiates a lifelong split between the self-as-observer the self-as-observed, and the video game exploits this structure, then, in one sense, we already exist in an avataral relation with ourselves” (Rehak pg.123). Games allow as to reflect are perception of ourselves within the game. The computer screen then acts as a mirror as we construct our temporal view of our reflection. By doing this a player can reveal their ego to others. For example, though the avatar created in both games (Fig. 1.1-2.2) resembles the player’s appearance in reality, they may act as a mask. This is because the player’s ego is hidden behind mundane features. There is little contrast between the Avatar and the player and therefore one cannot tell how the individuals perceive themself.
“Egos are founded on the assumption of wholeness, a wholeness misperceived in the form of the symbolic other. The other that functions retroactively to bestow the authenticity on the self could be described as a living avatar” (Rehak pg 123). If we already have an avatar temporally in our minds than video games allow can us to create depict them. For example, most people’s choices in the design of their avatars are different from their physical features in reality, excluding the case of Fig.1.1-2.2.
In games we can “toy with subjectivity, play with being” such as separating oneself from other that we do in our minds called “Liminal play: an attempt to isolate and capture (fleetingly) the oscillatory motion of consciousness by which are sutured into this reality” (Rehak pg 123). Games allow us to play with being and appearance, allowing the player to express them and to others through their appearance. For example, these games allow one to choose many features that one can choose to represent them just as we would in real life in our choices of clothing. In the case of the custom avatar of Never Winter Nights 2, the choice clothing is how the player presents himself instead of through physical features.
“We create avatars to leave our bodies behind” (Rehak pg.123) The player would unlikely want to recreate their real appearance because they enter another reality as another being through the avatar. This is not the case in the avatar created in this game since it may be a subconscious attempt to hide the ego of the player.
Our extensions through various media are predicted on the body as a root metaphor (Rehak 124). The avatar created in both games acts as a metaphor for the individual that created it and therefore it’s physical features would act as metaphors of the individuals personality. Features may act as icons that represent something that they player wishes to convey and what they cannot in real life.
“The worlds we create- and the avatarial bodies through which we experience them- seem to be destined to mirror not only our wholeness, but our lack of it” (Rehak 124). Avatar’s created in the games may not only represent what is there but what is not there that makes us whole. For example one may create a being that is not human or lacking certain features that resemble them in reality revealing a large contrast between their self-perception and their appearance.
In conclusion, whereas most people reveal their ego and self perception through the avatars they design, realistically depicting oneself in the game may act as a manner to hide one’s self perception by using the avatar as a mask. This would hide their ego and that individual’s self-perception from other game player’s so to not reveal aspects of oneself such as the level of aggressiveness and skill that the player may have. It could even act as a technique to through other players off from ones own abilities. The main factor is that it is more than likely a subconscious mask created to hide ones ego.
An avatar is not only a being in a game that a player controls but a being that they can become. According to Toby Gard: in games with a first person point of view, the player plays as if they are personally experiencing the game and unlike third person games where the character is distinctly separate from the character. The person becomes the avatar instead of controlling an actor (pg. 1). This may not be the case of that avatar is designed by the player themselves such as in Never Winter Nights 2 and Oblivion.
According to Bob Rehak concerning cinema, ‘spectator’s are “stitched into” the signifying chain through edits that articulate a plenitude of observed space to an observing viewer’ (pg. 121). Film expresses the subjects to the viewer by depicting the relevant scenes to them and by excluding the irrelevant ones through editing.
Rehak also states how “development should presage a new type of psychological film in which the camera will reveal the human mind, not superficially but honestly in terms of image an sound.”(pg. 120). Though this is a goal for cinema to express the subject’s psychological status through the type of images instead of only through editing, games can already do this through the player’s design of their avatar. For example games such as Oblivion and Never Winter Nights 2 allow one to customize the appearance of their avatars (Fig. 1.1-2.2) so that they players can reveal their ego how they perceive themselves.
“If the mirror stage initiates a lifelong split between the self-as-observer the self-as-observed, and the video game exploits this structure, then, in one sense, we already exist in an avataral relation with ourselves” (Rehak pg.123). Games allow as to reflect are perception of ourselves within the game. The computer screen then acts as a mirror as we construct our temporal view of our reflection. By doing this a player can reveal their ego to others. For example, though the avatar created in both games (Fig. 1.1-2.2) resembles the player’s appearance in reality, they may act as a mask. This is because the player’s ego is hidden behind mundane features. There is little contrast between the Avatar and the player and therefore one cannot tell how the individuals perceive themself.
“Egos are founded on the assumption of wholeness, a wholeness misperceived in the form of the symbolic other. The other that functions retroactively to bestow the authenticity on the self could be described as a living avatar” (Rehak pg 123). If we already have an avatar temporally in our minds than video games allow can us to create depict them. For example, most people’s choices in the design of their avatars are different from their physical features in reality, excluding the case of Fig.1.1-2.2.
In games we can “toy with subjectivity, play with being” such as separating oneself from other that we do in our minds called “Liminal play: an attempt to isolate and capture (fleetingly) the oscillatory motion of consciousness by which are sutured into this reality” (Rehak pg 123). Games allow us to play with being and appearance, allowing the player to express them and to others through their appearance. For example, these games allow one to choose many features that one can choose to represent them just as we would in real life in our choices of clothing. In the case of the custom avatar of Never Winter Nights 2, the choice clothing is how the player presents himself instead of through physical features.
“We create avatars to leave our bodies behind” (Rehak pg.123) The player would unlikely want to recreate their real appearance because they enter another reality as another being through the avatar. This is not the case in the avatar created in this game since it may be a subconscious attempt to hide the ego of the player.
Our extensions through various media are predicted on the body as a root metaphor (Rehak 124). The avatar created in both games acts as a metaphor for the individual that created it and therefore it’s physical features would act as metaphors of the individuals personality. Features may act as icons that represent something that they player wishes to convey and what they cannot in real life.
“The worlds we create- and the avatarial bodies through which we experience them- seem to be destined to mirror not only our wholeness, but our lack of it” (Rehak 124). Avatar’s created in the games may not only represent what is there but what is not there that makes us whole. For example one may create a being that is not human or lacking certain features that resemble them in reality revealing a large contrast between their self-perception and their appearance.
In conclusion, whereas most people reveal their ego and self perception through the avatars they design, realistically depicting oneself in the game may act as a manner to hide one’s self perception by using the avatar as a mask. This would hide their ego and that individual’s self-perception from other game player’s so to not reveal aspects of oneself such as the level of aggressiveness and skill that the player may have. It could even act as a technique to through other players off from ones own abilities. The main factor is that it is more than likely a subconscious mask created to hide ones ego.
Figure 1.1: Never Winter Nights Custom Avatar
Figure 1.2: Never Winter Nights 2 Custom Avatar Torso 
Figure 2.2: Oblivion Custom Avatar (Side)
Figure 2.2: Oblivion Custom Avatar (Front)
Works Cited:
Gard, Toby, “Building Character”. 2000. Gamasutra. 13 April 2008 www.gamasutra.com/features/20000720/gard_pvf.htm
Rehak, Bob, “Playing at Being: Psychoanalyses and the Avatar”, The Video Game Theory Reader, 2003, Routeledge.
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