Co-presence practices during COVID-19: co-playing within online platforms

Online co-playing is a practice of co-presence that allows people located in different physical places to socialize. This practice has increased during the period of lockdown (march and june of 2020) due to the COVID-19 health crisis. This study aims to understand online co-playing practices during the lockdown period, in various games and platforms. In this study, a case study methodology with digital ethnographic techniques was implemented: participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Three profiles of co-playing practitioners have been identified: initiation, adaptation and intensification. The first profile is characterized by having started to carry on these practices during the lockdown. The second corresponds to the adaptation of playful practices to online digital spaces. The third corresponds to the increment of time and frequency of play of those who already co-played online. The results show that co-playing online has allowed co-presence to occur, both synchronous or asynchronous, especially among peers, and to a lesser extent among family members. Thus, a generational gap has been detected. Finally, the practice of co-playing during the lockdown showed to be an activity motivated by achieving a wellbeing state, which has helped to strengthen social issues, to counter the distress and other negative feelings produced by the lockdown and all the social consequences associated with COVID-19.