ABSTRACT
The combined virtual space held within video games has grown far beyond that of our physical environment. Within these virtual spaces users by the millions engage with each other in a vast network of distinct virtual communities. Though verbal communication is the norm in physical spaces, within the virtual space such communication is not always assured.
Nonverbal communication in the virtual space of video games is critical to expressing a variety of thoughts and feelings via digital means.
In the physical world our various means of gesticulation are unlimited, but in the virtual world; game design prescribes and controls how communications are expressed. Despite the restrictions of digital design, nonverbal communication in the virtual realm has evolved into a complexly choreographed cultural dance that beckons endless exploration.