Staying productive through Animal Crossing video game during the Malaysian Movement Control Order 2020-2021
Menjaga Produktiviti melalui permainan video Animal Crossing semasa Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Malaysia 2020-2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/sainsinsani.vol9no2.701Keywords:
productivity, video game culture, COVID-19, Movement Control Order, MalaysiaAbstract
Abstract: During the tumultuous COVID-19 Movement Control Order (MCO), many Malaysians turned to video games to improve their mental health, to reduce stress, and to unwind. Local news reported on the active engagement of players, particularly through the creative productions inspired by their gaming experiences. In light of this phenomenon, this study investigates the ways players engage in such creative productions to fulfil their fundamental needs for agency and authorship which were affected during the pandemic lockdown. A qualitative textual analysis was conducted on a local gaming Facebook group, focusing on creative productions for Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020). The game was selected due to its outstanding commercial success, its critical acclaim, and the presence of an active local community with over 14,000 members. Through the analysis of 87 Facebook posts, the findings suggest that Malaysian players remained productive during the restrictive MCO period by producing custom designs to preserve cultural meanings, creating fan art to upskill, and selling fan art to generate income. These creative productions elevated the players to the status of producers, enhancing their standing within the gaming community through the acquisition of gaming capital. The study highlights the importance of staying productive through creative productions as an active and integral approach to alleviating the negative effects of the MCO period.
Abstrak: Semasa Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) COVID-19 yang penuh cabaran, ramai rakyat Malaysia beralih kepada permainan video untuk meningkatkan kesihatan mental, mengurangkan tekanan, dan melepaskan ketegangan. Berita tempatan melaporkan tentang penglibatan aktif pemain, terutamanya melalui produk kreatif yang diilhamkan oleh pengalaman permainan mereka. Berikutan fenomena ini, kajian ini menyiasat cara pemain terlibat dalam pengeluaran kreatif untuk memenuhi keperluan asas mereka untuk agensi dan pengarang yang terjejas semasa sekatan pergerakan pandemik. Analisis teks kualitatif telah dijalankan ke atas sebuah kumpulan Facebook permainan tempatan, dengan fokus kepada pengeluaran kreatif untuk permainan Nintendo Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020). Permainan ini dipilih kerana kejayaannya yang cemerlang di pasaran, pujian kritikal yang diterima, dan kewujudan komuniti tempatan yang aktif dengan lebih 14,000 ahli. Melalui analisis 87 kiriman Facebook, dapatan menunjukkan bahawa pemain Malaysia kekal produktif semasa tempoh PKP yang terhad dengan menghasilkan reka bentuk tersuai untuk memelihara makna budaya, mencipta seni peminat untuk meningkatkan kemahiran, dan menjual seni peminat untuk menjana pendapatan. Pengeluaran kreatif ini mengangkat pemain kepada status pengeluar, meningkatkan kedudukan mereka dalam komuniti permainan melalui perolehan modal permainan. Kajian ini menekankan pentingnya kekal produktif melalui pengeluaran kreatif sebagai pendekatan aktif dan penting untuk meringankan kesan negatif tempoh PKP.
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