Guck mal, wir sind schwanger! Avatare, Gender & Identitätsprozesse

The relationship between players and their digital avatars is defined by fluid identity processes, where the use of personal pronouns serves as a primary indicator of psychological integration. By analyzing German-language Let’s Play content across titles such as Life is Strange and The Last of Us, the research demonstrates that players frequently collapse the distinction between their physical selves and their virtual representations. This phenomenon, characterized by the adoption of an inclusive "we" or a direct "I" when describing in-game actions, suggests an extension of the player’s body-ego into the digital space that transcends simple gender-based identification.

Character customization and gender-swapping serve as critical tools for self-exploration, yet these mechanisms often trigger complex negotiations between self-representation and narrative detachment. While modern games increasingly offer gender-neutral options, the degree of identification is ultimately dictated less by the avatar’s gender and more by the player’s moral alignment with the character’s actions and the perceived age gap between the two. When moral conflicts or narrative shifts occur, the unified sense of self is frequently disrupted, forcing players to oscillate between viewing the avatar as an extension of their own identity and treating it as a distinct, external object.

Ultimately, the interaction between player and avatar is a multifaceted process of self-localization. The tendency to adopt an inclusive perspective—even in scenarios involving physical states the player does not share, such as pregnancy—highlights that virtual identity is rooted in narrative and experiential immersion rather than static demographic markers. While these findings provide significant insight into the digital self-expression of Let’s Players, the complexity of these identity processes suggests that further research is required to fully map the motivations behind avatar interaction across broader gaming demographics and contexts.