Video Games

Hickey, D. T. & Filsecker, M. K. (2012). Participatory assessment for organizing inquiry in educational videogames and beyond. In K. Littleton, E. Scanlon, & M. Sharples, (Eds.) Orchestrating inquiry learning: Contemporary perspectives on supporting scientific inquiry learning (pp. 146-174). London: Taylor and Francis.

by Daniel Hickey

Using Games Engines for Archaeological Visualisation: Recreating Lost Worlds

by Eugene Ch'ng

Chandler, J., Konrath, S., & Schwarz, N. (2009). Online and on my mind: Temporary and chronic accessibility influence the assimilation of online characters. Media Psychology, 12, 210-226.

by Jesse Chandler

New Media Texts of WWII: Kenneth Burke’s Intersection with Computer Culture

by Jason C. Thompson

On Couches and Controllers: Identification in the Video Game Apparatus

by Peter McDonald

Forthcoming in Issues of Control, Ed. Matthew Wysocki

The video game controller is a complex site of mediation for the player's identification with an avatar or... more The video game controller is a complex site of mediation for the player's identification with an avatar or perspective. The controller plays a number of roles: it is involved in a action-response feedback loop; it is a major aspect of video game literacy; it's layout guides a game's design; and it controls the basic verbs that video game theorists such as Aki Jarvinen and MacKenzie Wark place at the core of a game's meaning. Drawing on Lacanian film criticism much of the recent work on identification in video game studies, such as Bob Rehak's “Playing at Being: Psychoanalysis and the Avatar” has focused on the visual process of identification, taking the controller as at best a transparent medium for kinaesthetic identification, and at worst as an outdated technology that must be re-invented. Both of these approaches ignore the semiotic function of the controller which introduces an arbitrary relationship between the video game signifier (a button press), and signified (the on screen action). This essay expands on this semiotic function of the controller to make the argument that button presses can be read as differential chains of signs. I look several 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation controllers to show how they develop, the role of button combinations, and the meaning of their spatial layout.

Playing Attention: The Hermeneutic Problems of Reading Ico Closely

by Peter McDonald

Published in Loading... (2012)

This article argues that paying attention to the specifics of a videogame involves a difficult problem of interpreting... more This article argues that paying attention to the specifics of a videogame involves a difficult problem of interpreting the meaning of repeated acts. A hermeneutic framework is developed by examining the PlayStation 2 game Ico through Melanie Klein’s object-relations psychoanalysis. The author argues that the controller functions as a semi-autonomous unconscious space that mediates unconscious phantasy and emotions, and therefore represents a privileged space for analysis. The article demonstrates the difference between a traditional close reading and a ludic close-reading by applying the tools to Ico in order to show how the game develops from a paranoid to a depressive style of play.

Reflexivity as Entertainment: Early Novels and Recent Video Games

by Peter McDonald

with Christina Lupton, Mosaic (2010)

This essay compares self-reflexive devices in eighteenth century novels and contemporary video games. This comparison... more This essay compares self-reflexive devices in eighteenth century novels and contemporary video games. This comparison suggests a long history of popular entertainment that draws attention to its own mediation while challenging the more radical forms of self-consciousness that theorists have associated with anti-mimetic forms of narrative.

Mecanismos de navegación en el videojuego: aproximación desde la teoría de la enunciación al diseño de la interacción en espacios tridimensionales

by Marta Fernández

Retos y oportunidades de la comunicación multimedia en la era del 2.0 / coord. por Javier Sierra Sánchez, 2011, págs. 374-388

Inmersión, persencia y flow

by Marta Fernández

Co-authored with Manuel Armenteros Gallardo.

Language policy in the making: an analysis of bilingual gaming activities

by Sirpa Leppänen

Young People’s Translocal New Media Uses:A Multiperspective Analysis Of Language Choice And Heteroglossia

by Sirpa Leppänen

Published in JOurnal of Computer-Mediated Communication 14, 2009

Co-authored with:
Anne Pitkanen-Huhta
Arja Piirainen-Marsh
Tarja Nikula
Saija Peuronen

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the particularities of the linguistic, social and
cultural action of... more The aim of this paper is to shed light on the particularities of the linguistic, social and
cultural action of young Finns in translocal new media spaces, and the ways in which
they themselves make sense of and account for their actions. We present findings from 4
case studies, each of which illustrates aspects of translocality in young Finns’ new media
uses. Theoretically and methodologically the case studies draw on sociolinguistics, discourse
studies, and ethnography, making use of the concepts of language choice and linguistic
and stylistic heteroglossia. Through the 4 cases in focus, the paper shows how young
people’s linguistically and textually sophisticated new media uses are geared by and express
translocal affective, social, and cultural alignments and affinities.

doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01482.x
Int

Videogame Content: Game, Text, or Something Else?

by Mia Consalvo

PAGE PROOFS from my chapter in: The International Encyclopedia of Media Studies: Media Effects/Media Psychology, First Edition.
Edited by Angharad N. Valdivia and Erica Scharrer.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

This chapter surveys the most recent scholarly work done on videogame content. It identifies several lines of research... more This chapter surveys the most recent scholarly work done on videogame content. It identifies several lines of research that have emerged in this area, including debates over the best methods for studying game content, representation-based versus gameplay-based approaches, and theoretical foundations for studying games. In addition to providing a broad overview of recent work in such areas, the essay also provides a more detailed account of how such research works, through an examination of the author’s past videogame
studies. These include studies that have examined titles such as The Sims and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, among other examples. These studies demonstrate how theory may and may not be useful in studying games, how methods must be adapted to best scrutinize dynamic content, and the many meanings that can be taken from contemporary games. The essay ends with a discussion of how future research on games should proceed, and the identification of the areas most pressing in terms of investigation.

Mixed stories, digital lives: Travelogues as method & narrative

by Tamara Peyton

Co-authored with Victoria McArthur, Jennifer Jenson & Suzanne de Castell for the 2012 Eastern Sociological Society conference

With the rise of the Internet and of digital modes of interaction, a variety of new research concerns  have... more
With the rise of the Internet and of digital modes of interaction, a variety of new research concerns  have emerged, particularly around the management and presentation of digital selves. At its core, digital research into virtual worlds is about understanding the interactions of real human beings in digital spaces through the hearing, crafting and retelling of their narratives. Understanding avatar creation and management is a central issue in this research vein.

Avatars in virtual worlds and massively multiplayer online games represent far more than a communicative tool or device. Early accounts of avatars lauded the limitless choices avatars offered players, allowing digital inhabitants or ‘netizens’ to be almost anything but their ‘real selves’ (Turkle, 1995). More recently, relying on survey-based self-report data, quantitative studies of players and avatars claim that netizens most often craft avatars and back stories that are significantly different than their real selves (Bessiere, Seay, and Kiesler, 2007; Ducheneaut, Wen, Yee and Wadley, 2009). Qualitative approaches that build on individuals’ accounts of their own meaningful interactions and choices also find that players represent themselves very differently (Meadows, 2008; Taylor, 2006).

Drawing from a mixed-methods, multi-site study of virtual worlds, the digital travelogue instrument we have developed demonstrates a way to stretch the methodological limits of participant self-report or researcher observation. Using interviews, surveys, videos of recorded play and our travelogue tool, we explores gaps between how participants tell stories about their digital avatar choices and what the travelogue’s visual records tell us about their digital activities and personas. We identify the primary ways player/avatar similarities are evidenced, and we organize our findings by player gender, age, and level of expertise. We discuss possible reasons for this under-reported gap between stories told and stories shown. In the process, we highlight the need for a stronger understanding of the narrative work done by players around their digital selves.

Deconstructing Play: Reconciling Traditional Narratives and Video Games

by Julianne Peeling

ConsoleGBL-Pedagogy_GROFF-HOWELLS-CRANMER

by Jennifer S. Groff

Co-authored with Cathrin Howells and Sue Cranmer

The main focus of this research project was to identify the educational benefits of console game-based learn- ing in... more The main focus of this research project was to identify the educational benefits of console game-based learn- ing in primary and secondary schools. The project also sought to understand how the benefits of educational gaming could transfer to other settings. For this purpose, research was carried out in classrooms in Scotland to explore learning with games played on games consoles, such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii. Interviews were carried out with school leaders, classroom teachers, and students in 19 schools and followed up by a series of lesson observations in four of these schools. Findings include significant impact on students’ performance and engagement, as well as strong support from participating teachers and school leaders.

Rendered Subjection: Representations of the neo-Oriental in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

by James C. Vlisides

Beginning in late October 2003, and spanning a series of 8 games and counting, the Call of Duty franchise has... more Beginning in late October 2003, and spanning a series of 8 games and counting, the Call of Duty franchise has established a reputation as the premier First-Person Shooter (FPS) on both PC and console platforms. Traversing a history from WWII to the modern "War on Terror," the Call of Duty franchise highlights significant global conflict from a vantage point of the exceptional American combatant. The franchise recently released Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) in November 2011, selling over 6.5 million copies on launch day and grossed $400 million in the U.S. alone in its first 24 hours. Modern Warfare 3 went on to gross $1 billion throughout the world in just 16 days of availability, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time. Thus, Modern Warfare 3 represents a potent example of global military-entertainment consumption, and certainly seems to have more to say about the current economic, political, and international relations between nations and states. Through a close reading of MW3 as a text, I will explore questions including: How does MW3 represent the embodied “Other”? How are terrorist bodies corporealized in virtual spaces? How are these bodies rendered both visible and invisible? What spaces does the game privilege? Who has access to this structure of power? With these questions framing my research, I will look into the virtual geography that frames the logic of the game itself. I will engage various texts including The International Journal of Computer Game Research, Roger Stahl's book Militainment, Inc: War, Media, and Popular Culture, and Marcel O'Gorman's book Angels in Digital Armor: Technoculture and Terror Management, among many others. Through these texts I will begin to explore the intersections of technology, culture, the military, cultural economy, and border studies. Further, I will maintain a specific sensitivity to "neo-Orientalism," as the Middle-East has arguably been the primary focus of American economic and military interests since the end of the Cold War. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how MW3 (re-)constructs the East, the Oriental, and the terrorist within its virtual game space, as well as the spatiality between reality and “virtuality,” and what this has to say about the current social, political, and economic agendas surrounding global conflict.


Keywords: American Empire, Orientalism, US Imperialism, Globalization, War-on-Terror, Bodies, Virtual Reality

Differences in Design: Video Game Design in Pre and Post 9/11 America

by Nicolas LaLone

Graduate Thesis for a Masters of Arts in Sociology

Video games are constructed through a bundle of processes meant to imitate an understanding of the world through the... more Video games are constructed through a bundle of processes meant to imitate an understanding of the world through the associations of the technology used to create a game and a design team. From opening doors to courting a mate, videogames can and do explore a wide variety of societal structures. This thesis presents an examination of the processes that occur within and during the making of 12 action videogames made between the years 1996 and 2006. It examines the intent of game makers by analyzing the content of videogames cross-referenced with fan-produced archival playthroughs of these games. Using the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, a point at which the American collective consciousness changed, I aim to display how local culture influences video games and how video games imitate that change. My preliminary results suggest that video games do typically pull from the local culture. Games from 1996 generally imitate the fear of scientific progress and environmental destruction. By 2005, videogames imitate post-2001 culture through a greater focus on war safety through constant companionship, nesting or development of a living space that is constantly under attack, and antagonists changing from world-conquering leaders or scientists to an unknown, obtusely motivated charismatic enemy. As such, videogames are a means through which sociologists can examine the associations between technology, people as developers, and players. This research has important implications for the current state of public discourse about videogames that is typically focused on negative effects.

Demetrovics Z, Urba ́n R, Nagygyo ̈rgy K, Farkas J, Griffiths MD, et al. (2012) The Development of the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ). PLoS ONE 7(5): e36417. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036417

by Mark Griffiths

Background: Online gaming has become increasingly popular. However, this has led to concerns that these games might... more Background: Online gaming has become increasingly popular. However, this has led to concerns that these games might induce serious problems and/or lead to dependence for a minority of players. Aim: The aim of this study was to uncover and operationalize the components of problematic online gaming.
Methods: A total of 3415 gamers (90% males; mean age 21 years), were recruited through online gaming websites. A combined method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied. Latent profile analysis was applied to identify persons at-risk.
Results: EFA revealed a six-factor structure in the background of problematic online gaming that was also confirmed by a CFA. For the assessment of the identified six dimensions – preoccupation, overuse, immersion, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal – the 18-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) proved to be exceedingly suitable. Based on the latent profile analysis, 3.4% of the gamer population was considered to be at high risk, while another 15.2% was moderately problematic.
Conclusions: The POGQ seems to be an adequate measurement tool for the differentiated assessment of gaming related problems on six subscales.

Narrative Time in Video Games

by Minhua Ma

Minhua Ma and Bassi, B. (2011) International Journal on Intelligent Games and Simulation, 6(1).

This paper analyses how the different tenses (i.e. past, present, and future), aspects (i.e. perfective aspect and... more This paper analyses how the different tenses (i.e. past, present, and future), aspects (i.e. perfective aspect and progressive aspect), and pace (i.e. speed-up, slowdown, isochrony, etc.) can affect and be affected by narrative in video games. Since games are at large played in the eternal progressive aspect no matter whether they have a historical, present, or futuristic setting, this paper will look at the games and the elements that can take a game and attract a player into its surroundings, and discuss how different tenses, aspects, and pace can be displayed in various game genres and how different it is to express the time in video games as opposed to traditional narrative media.

On the Virtual Frontlines: Video Games and the War on Terror

by Thomas Riegler

This contribution explores the continuing “virtualization” of the War on Terror by concentrating on the political... more This contribution explores the continuing “virtualization” of the War on Terror by concentrating on the political subtext and aesthetics of relevant games. The main thesis is that these cultural products teach a simple lesson: violence is the preferred, usually the only, answer to human conflict. Furthermore the games reinforce cultural stereotypes and “myths” about the ongoing conflict – mainly by depoliticising the War on Terror into a purely military confrontation that can be won by eliminating “targets” and by “blowing stuff up”. In doing so, these games exert profound influence on how today’s conflict is perceived by the public.