Title:
Performing Identity in the Contemporary Gaming Sphere: A Multi‑Case Study of the Online Personas “Slayed230124,” “Ariataylor,” and “AlyxStarPound”
Abstract
The rise of live‑streaming platforms and competitive multiplayer games has fostered a new ecology of performative digital identities. This paper investigates three high‑visibility gamer personas—Slayed230124, Ariataylor, and AlyxStarPound—to understand how self‑presentation, community interaction, and monetization intersect in the creation of “gaming celebrity.” Drawing on a mixed‑methods approach that combines netnographic observation, discourse analysis of chat logs, and semi‑structured interviews (n = 12) with followers, the study reveals three central mechanisms: (1) curated skill exhibition, (2) narrative self‑construction through personal branding, and (3) reciprocal economy of fan‑generated value. Findings suggest that these mechanisms reinforce a feedback loop that amplifies visibility while simultaneously shaping community norms around authenticity, competition, and affective labor. The paper concludes with implications for platform governance, creator‑economy sustainability, and future research on digital performativity.
Keywords
Digital identity; Gaming celebrity; Netnography; Performative labor; Creator economy; Community building; Live‑streaming slayed230124ariataylorandalyxstarpound
This is almost certainly a date in DDMMYY or YYMMDD format.
The presence of a precise date suggests this keyword refers to a specific live stream, competition, or upload from that day. linked to the three creators.
Fringe hashtags like this are modern digital time capsules. They allow small communities to preserve moments without mainstream interference. For example, a private Discord server might use slayed230124 to log a specific voice channel performance where three users—Aria, Taylor, AlyxStarPound—delivered an unforgettable improv rap or musical number.
The convergence of high‑speed broadband, interactive game design, and real‑time broadcast technology has transformed the act of playing video games into a public performance (Taylor, 2022). Streamers now occupy a liminal space between professional athletes, entertainers, and influencers, negotiating audiences that are simultaneously fans, peers, and co‑creators (Kowert & Quandt, 2021). While scholarship has examined the macro‑level dynamics of the creator economy (Cunningham & Craig, 2023), fewer studies have provided fine‑grained analyses of how individual personas enact and negotiate their digital selves. 4. Example Scenarios
This paper addresses that gap by focusing on three distinct yet comparable online personas:
Through an interdisciplinary lens that integrates media studies, sociology of sport, and digital ethnography, we ask: