Social Capital in Online Gaming Communities: A Systematic Review Examining the Role of Virtual Identities

The growth of online video-game players has seen a parallel growth in online gaming communities. Membership in these communities has been well known to play a vital role in shaping social connections and fostering social capital. This systematic review explored the role of interacting virtual identities in shaping the relationship between membership in gaming communities and social capital as an outcome. Online databases of Scopus, APA PsycNet, Web of Science, the Digital Game Research Association Digital Library, and the Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library were screened (January 1, 2000-October 23, 2023). From an initial pool of 5,720 studies, 33 were finalized for inclusion after quality assessment. Results highlight that interacting identities affect players' experiences of social support and social capital. The extent to which positive social interactions were experienced and social capital was accumulated depended on (a) the number of interacting salient identities and (b) the degree to which salient identities were marginalized in the respective gaming community. Prevalent identities in different social contexts (the non-virtual world, online gaming communities, and specific virtual worlds) and how their interactions affect social capital have been discussed. This study contributes to theory by demonstrating how intersecting identities influence social capital dynamics in virtual spaces. It also offers insights for community managers on creating inclusive environments that enhance positive social experiences and social capital accumulation.