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Abstract
In this study, I undertook a discourse analysis of the interaction between fans and producers of the digital-game series Fallout, with a goal to better understand fan–producer interaction in an era where it is increasingly common and consequential. I argued that we must understand the tension between the two parties not only as a struggle over ownership or censorship, but more fundamentally as a struggle over the less material concept of text integrity (defined as an ideal about the wholeness, validity, and truth of a media text). Guided by this concept, I found that fans of the game series Fallout enacted four roles when communicating with producers: consular/managerial, antagonistic/adversarial, cynical/jaded, and deferential/respectful. Conversely, when producers communicated with fans, they simultaneously enacted Jenkins' three strategies: support, contempt, or supervision. The study concluded by arguing for a more nuanced understanding of fan–producer interaction in an era where fans and producers are seeing increased interaction with increased consequence.