Finnish lapsed players and (game) cultural expectations

Abstract

This article focuses on narratives that approach the topic of game cultural and cultural expectations from the point of view lapsed players. The interviews of 22 Finnish lapsed players were analyzed by using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2022) and examined through the lens of narrative expectations analysis (Hyvärinen 1994). The analyses resulted in two themes: defying normative behavior and feeling the pressures of implied player. These themes illustrate that the expectations related to players entangle with expectations related to adults and mothers and reveal the need to update these cultural scripts to make game cultures more welcoming and diverse.