Topic > The Game The Super Smash Bros. Melee Community as an Example of Discursive Community

Discursive communities are a prevalent part of human social structures, arising through conscious or subconscious means. Discursive communities are defined as a group of people who have a certain goal, the same values, and use a certain vocabulary that, for the most part, only other members of that discursive community could understand. A very strong example of a discursive community is the video game community; more specifically, the game Super Smash Bros. Melee is a huge community of discourse. Super Smash Bros. Melee is a great example of a conversational community that needs more recognition of its large community and great ways to bring other people together and create lasting friendships. Super Smash Bros. Melee is a great example of a discursive community thanks to three factors: everyone in the community shares the same goal of getting better at the game and winning, there is a distinct vocabulary that only people in this discursive community would understand, as well as having a great emphasis on the social aspect outside of the game. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the Super Smash Bros. Melee community, everyone has the same goal: to improve and win as many games as possible. Unlike most other gaming communities, this community actually thrives by motivating other players to get better at the game in an effort to gain better competition. Many of the ways that players in this community help others achieve their goals are through a wide variety of ways, including one-on-one training sessions, writing manuals used to improve performance, and many others. Unlike other gaming communities where the only goal is to win, there is a clear presence of motivation from peers to improve and help others improve. In fact, many of this game's veteran players welcome new players to compete and improve simply "for the love of the game." In Super Smash Bros. Melee, community members share a distinct vocabulary that, for the most part, only others in this group would understand. For example, Wavedashing is an action in the game performed by quickly pressing the X button, the right trigger, and pressing the directional stick down diagonally to allow the character to perform a slide across the stage to move faster. Another example is the abbreviation of the word technique to simply “technology.” Shortening the word allows for easier use of the word in conversation and understanding. Another important vocabulary concept in the Super Smash Bros. Melee discourse community is the use of "tags" or nicknames used in place of the player's real name. For example, Kevin Nanney is a successful psychologist in the real world; in the Super Smash Bros. Melee community, he is no longer just Kevin Nanney, but instead "PPMD", considered one of the best players in the community. It may seem strange to hear this form of dialect, but for a member of this community it becomes second nature to use this vocabulary. In this community there is a huge emphasis on the social aspect of gaming. Super Smash Bros. Melee was developed in 2001 and cannot be played online, so to play with others, players must meet in person and play. In fact, many players travel to other states just to compete against other players in hopes of winning tournaments. Since its inception in 2001, this game has become more and more popular and has continued to grow. The growing popularity of Super Smash Bros. Melee may be due to a combination of the Internet which.