Kaunisnaama and Me. Affective-Interpretive Agency and Niche Construction in <i>NHL 20</i> “Be a Pro” Mode

Abstract

The article presents an account of discrepancies between the designed sportsgame narrative and emergent narrative elements in the hockey game NHL 20 and its “Be a Pro” game mode, in which players create their own avatars with which to play the game. At the same time, character-creation decisions and the game design can severely disrupt the narrative of winning that the game privileges. These disruptions lead to frustrating player experience, but also to a more realist sport narrative of overcoming adversity than the game intends. With the example of my own avatar, Edwar Kaunisnaama, I show how the game becomes a particular affective niche that emerges when the straightforward narrative of winning fails and player-led narrativization of game events is employed. From failure emerges a surprisingly faithful and even fulfilling representation of athletic struggle, stemming from the player’s affective-interpretive action rather than game design.