2020
Alha, Kati
The rise of free-to-play: How the revenue model changed games and playing Väitöskirja
Informaatiotutkimus ja interaktiivinen media, Tampereen yliopisto, 2020, ISBN: 978-952-03-1774-4.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: attitudes, design, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, ethics, experience, fairness, free-to-play, freemium, revenue models
@phdthesis{Alha2020,
title = {The rise of free-to-play: How the revenue model changed games and playing},
author = {Kati Alha},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1774-4},
isbn = {978-952-03-1774-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
school = {Informaatiotutkimus ja interaktiivinen media, Tampereen yliopisto},
abstract = {Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.},
keywords = {attitudes, design, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, ethics, experience, fairness, free-to-play, freemium, revenue models},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
Behbahani, Amin Rasti
Kielentutkimus, Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2020, ISBN: 978-951-39-8130-3.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, levels of involvement load, task, think-aloud, vocabulary acquisition, vocabulary learning strategies
@phdthesis{RastiBehbahani2020,
title = {Investigating the effect of digital game tasks, inducing different levels of involvement load, on the acquisition of vocabulary items},
author = {Amin Rasti Behbahani},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-8130-3},
isbn = {978-951-39-8130-3},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
school = {Kielentutkimus, Jyväskylän yliopisto},
abstract = {In this empirical study, the effectiveness of digital game tasks, inducing different levels of involvement load, on the acquisition of vocabulary items were studied both quantitatively and qualitatively. Participants were 30 randomly recruited Persian speakers (14 males, and 16 females, aged 13 – 15 years). The research design included pre-tests, treatments, and post-tests. After the pre-tests, participants were randomly assigned to three involvement load groups, A, B, and C, containing 10 participants each. Concurrent think-aloud data were collected from two randomly selected pairs in each group. The digital game tasks designed for group A induced the lowest, the group B, a moderate, and the group C, the highest levels of involvement load. All participants played a commercial adventure digital game, Haunted Hotel: Death Sentence, in pairs by reading and following a game guide. From the game guide, 20 target words comprising inanimate object names or lexical nouns, were selected. At 3 weeks after task completion, the participants performed delayed post-tests. The quantitative data analysis showed that although digital game tasks can be effective in the acquisition of the scopes, and dimensions of a word, productive knowledge of the target words was superior to receptive knowledge. Moreover, the group B participants, counter to theoretical expectations, showed the poorest performance. The qualitative data analysis showed that, in performing digital game-based tasks, task structure, context, and strategy selection can all affect vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, participants employed distinct learning approaches that demanded the use of both universal moves (information search, negotiation, turn taking, and trial-and-error) and exclusive strategies (group A used input enhancement strategies, group B, inferencing and hypothesis testing strategies, and group C, memory search, feedback request, word association strategies, and planning). Hence, prospective teachers should be made aware of the predictive power of involvement load hypothesis.},
keywords = {digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, levels of involvement load, task, think-aloud, vocabulary acquisition, vocabulary learning strategies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
In this empirical study, the effectiveness of digital game tasks, inducing different levels of involvement load, on the acquisition of vocabulary items were studied both quantitatively and qualitatively. Participants were 30 randomly recruited Persian speakers (14 males, and 16 females, aged 13 – 15 years). The research design included pre-tests, treatments, and post-tests. After the pre-tests, participants were randomly assigned to three involvement load groups, A, B, and C, containing 10 participants each. Concurrent think-aloud data were collected from two randomly selected pairs in each group. The digital game tasks designed for group A induced the lowest, the group B, a moderate, and the group C, the highest levels of involvement load. All participants played a commercial adventure digital game, Haunted Hotel: Death Sentence, in pairs by reading and following a game guide. From the game guide, 20 target words comprising inanimate object names or lexical nouns, were selected. At 3 weeks after task completion, the participants performed delayed post-tests. The quantitative data analysis showed that although digital game tasks can be effective in the acquisition of the scopes, and dimensions of a word, productive knowledge of the target words was superior to receptive knowledge. Moreover, the group B participants, counter to theoretical expectations, showed the poorest performance. The qualitative data analysis showed that, in performing digital game-based tasks, task structure, context, and strategy selection can all affect vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, participants employed distinct learning approaches that demanded the use of both universal moves (information search, negotiation, turn taking, and trial-and-error) and exclusive strategies (group A used input enhancement strategies, group B, inferencing and hypothesis testing strategies, and group C, memory search, feedback request, word association strategies, and planning). Hence, prospective teachers should be made aware of the predictive power of involvement load hypothesis.
2018
Piittinen, Sari
Englannin kieli, Jyväskylän yliopisto , 2018, ISBN: 978-951-39-7607-1.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: digital games, dystopia, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, Fallout 3, gameplay videos, gaming, gothic, monstrosity, morality, play experience
@phdthesis{Piittinen2018,
title = {Reconstructing the gothic in games and gaming: Gothic monsters and ideology in the story world and player experiences of Fallout 3},
author = {Sari Piittinen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7607-1},
isbn = {978-951-39-7607-1},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
school = {Englannin kieli, Jyväskylän yliopisto },
abstract = {This dissertation research investigates the deployment of Gothic elements in digital games and player experiences of Gothic monsters. The Gothic is a rich and popular resource for games that, through representations of monstrosities and injustice, aims to induce in players a pleasurable feeling of discomfort, yet also reflects contemporary anxieties. The dissertation comprises three case studies of which the first two are close readings of the action role-playing game Fallout 3 and the third discourse analysis of transcribed player narration from Let’s Play (LP) gameplay videos. More specifically, the case studies discuss the dual role of Gothic monstrosities as a cause and consequence of the dystopia represented in the game world, Gothic ideology conveyed through multimodal means in the game and the players’ moral evaluations of its quasi-human Gothic monsters. The data for the first two case studies consisted of notes and screenshots systematically collected from the game, while the third case study examined transcribed narration from 20 different LP series of the game uploaded on YouTube. The findings show that, as well as monstrosities that are to be defeated and feared, games can also feature complex Gothic villain-heroes and sympathetic monsters whose actions and characterization are actively evaluated by players, as demonstrated in gameplay videos. These evaluations are influenced by whether the monsters are perceived as victims of injustice, making certain actions forgivable, or treacherous and therefore abhorrent. Their existence must make sense socially and biologically and be contextualized by the game world so that they can potentially enlist player sympathy. Spatial storytelling – such as items and notes left in the game space – can be used to convey narratives of past ideological horrors. Games can also reproduce traditional Gothic ideology such as othering, which takes on a dual role: players distance themselves from characters perceived as tyrannical, whereas characters ostracized by society evoke their sympathy. Players are morally autonomous and negotiate morality via humour, gossip and swearing in LP discourse. The Gothic continues to be complex, ambivalent, even contradictory in digital games, producing a sense of uncertainty during play.},
keywords = {digital games, dystopia, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, Fallout 3, gameplay videos, gaming, gothic, monstrosity, morality, play experience},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This dissertation research investigates the deployment of Gothic elements in digital games and player experiences of Gothic monsters. The Gothic is a rich and popular resource for games that, through representations of monstrosities and injustice, aims to induce in players a pleasurable feeling of discomfort, yet also reflects contemporary anxieties. The dissertation comprises three case studies of which the first two are close readings of the action role-playing game Fallout 3 and the third discourse analysis of transcribed player narration from Let’s Play (LP) gameplay videos. More specifically, the case studies discuss the dual role of Gothic monstrosities as a cause and consequence of the dystopia represented in the game world, Gothic ideology conveyed through multimodal means in the game and the players’ moral evaluations of its quasi-human Gothic monsters. The data for the first two case studies consisted of notes and screenshots systematically collected from the game, while the third case study examined transcribed narration from 20 different LP series of the game uploaded on YouTube. The findings show that, as well as monstrosities that are to be defeated and feared, games can also feature complex Gothic villain-heroes and sympathetic monsters whose actions and characterization are actively evaluated by players, as demonstrated in gameplay videos. These evaluations are influenced by whether the monsters are perceived as victims of injustice, making certain actions forgivable, or treacherous and therefore abhorrent. Their existence must make sense socially and biologically and be contextualized by the game world so that they can potentially enlist player sympathy. Spatial storytelling – such as items and notes left in the game space – can be used to convey narratives of past ideological horrors. Games can also reproduce traditional Gothic ideology such as othering, which takes on a dual role: players distance themselves from characters perceived as tyrannical, whereas characters ostracized by society evoke their sympathy. Players are morally autonomous and negotiate morality via humour, gossip and swearing in LP discourse. The Gothic continues to be complex, ambivalent, even contradictory in digital games, producing a sense of uncertainty during play.
2017
Männikkö, Niko
Hoitotiede, Oulun yliopisto, 2017, ISBN: 978-952-62-1658-4.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: addictive behavior, adolescents, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, health, internet gaming disorder, prevalence, young adults
@phdthesis{Männikkö2017,
title = {Problematic gaming behavior among adolescents and young adults: Relationship between gaming behavior and health},
author = {Niko Männikkö},
url = {http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526216584},
isbn = {978-952-62-1658-4},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
school = {Hoitotiede, Oulun yliopisto},
abstract = {The aim of the study was to describe and explain the problematic gaming behavior and the relationship between the digital gaming behavior (gaming time, medium, genres and motives), health (psychological, social and physical) and problematic gaming behavior among young people aged from 13 to 24 years. Information received can be used for developing practices to identify individuals with problematic gaming behavior, promote their lifestyle change and subsequently to increase knowledge of the nature of the condition within healthcare education. In this study, digital games means electronic games that can be played through console, computer, network and mobile devices.
In the first sub-study, a systematic literature review with synthesis from previous empirical studies (n = 50) about the health outcomes related to problematic gaming behavior was conducted. In the second sub-study, cross-sectional and national survey design with a randomly selected sample (N = 3 000) was used to identify problematic gaming behavior and to examine its associations with the digital gaming behavior (gaming time, genres and motives) and health (psychological, social and physical) among Finnish adolescents and young adults (n = 293). In the third sub-study, a descriptive, regional cross-sectional study was conducted to examine adolescents’ (n = 560) digital gaming behavior and its relationship to problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The data from empirical studies two and three were collected by using an internet-based survey. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.
The findings of the systematic review and empirical study showed that problematic gaming behavior was especially related to adverse psychosocial health outcomes, namely, anxiety, depression and a preference for online social interaction. Problematic gaming behavior was also linked to the use of a cluster of games-characterized features of role playing, action, progression and strategy. Moreover, the gaming motives, such as entertainment achievement, social and escapism, correlated significantly to problematic gaming behavior. Among the sample of adolescents, the blended family structure might predict problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The study significantly added understanding of gaming and health characteristics in the role of problematic gaming behavior among young people. The findings may help to advance in the areas of screening and counselling for PGB.},
keywords = {addictive behavior, adolescents, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, health, internet gaming disorder, prevalence, young adults},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
The aim of the study was to describe and explain the problematic gaming behavior and the relationship between the digital gaming behavior (gaming time, medium, genres and motives), health (psychological, social and physical) and problematic gaming behavior among young people aged from 13 to 24 years. Information received can be used for developing practices to identify individuals with problematic gaming behavior, promote their lifestyle change and subsequently to increase knowledge of the nature of the condition within healthcare education. In this study, digital games means electronic games that can be played through console, computer, network and mobile devices.
In the first sub-study, a systematic literature review with synthesis from previous empirical studies (n = 50) about the health outcomes related to problematic gaming behavior was conducted. In the second sub-study, cross-sectional and national survey design with a randomly selected sample (N = 3 000) was used to identify problematic gaming behavior and to examine its associations with the digital gaming behavior (gaming time, genres and motives) and health (psychological, social and physical) among Finnish adolescents and young adults (n = 293). In the third sub-study, a descriptive, regional cross-sectional study was conducted to examine adolescents’ (n = 560) digital gaming behavior and its relationship to problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The data from empirical studies two and three were collected by using an internet-based survey. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.
The findings of the systematic review and empirical study showed that problematic gaming behavior was especially related to adverse psychosocial health outcomes, namely, anxiety, depression and a preference for online social interaction. Problematic gaming behavior was also linked to the use of a cluster of games-characterized features of role playing, action, progression and strategy. Moreover, the gaming motives, such as entertainment achievement, social and escapism, correlated significantly to problematic gaming behavior. Among the sample of adolescents, the blended family structure might predict problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The study significantly added understanding of gaming and health characteristics in the role of problematic gaming behavior among young people. The findings may help to advance in the areas of screening and counselling for PGB.
In the first sub-study, a systematic literature review with synthesis from previous empirical studies (n = 50) about the health outcomes related to problematic gaming behavior was conducted. In the second sub-study, cross-sectional and national survey design with a randomly selected sample (N = 3 000) was used to identify problematic gaming behavior and to examine its associations with the digital gaming behavior (gaming time, genres and motives) and health (psychological, social and physical) among Finnish adolescents and young adults (n = 293). In the third sub-study, a descriptive, regional cross-sectional study was conducted to examine adolescents’ (n = 560) digital gaming behavior and its relationship to problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The data from empirical studies two and three were collected by using an internet-based survey. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.
The findings of the systematic review and empirical study showed that problematic gaming behavior was especially related to adverse psychosocial health outcomes, namely, anxiety, depression and a preference for online social interaction. Problematic gaming behavior was also linked to the use of a cluster of games-characterized features of role playing, action, progression and strategy. Moreover, the gaming motives, such as entertainment achievement, social and escapism, correlated significantly to problematic gaming behavior. Among the sample of adolescents, the blended family structure might predict problematic gaming behavior symptoms. The study significantly added understanding of gaming and health characteristics in the role of problematic gaming behavior among young people. The findings may help to advance in the areas of screening and counselling for PGB.
Pasanen, Tero
Beyond the pale: Gaming controversies and moral panics as rites of passage Väitöskirja
Digitaalinen kulttuuri, Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2017, ISBN: 978-951-39-7152-6.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, game studies, game violence, gaming controversy, gaming culture, moral panic
@phdthesis{Pasanen2017,
title = {Beyond the pale: Gaming controversies and moral panics as rites of passage},
author = {Tero Pasanen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7152-6},
isbn = {978-951-39-7152-6},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
school = {Digitaalinen kulttuuri, Jyväskylän yliopisto},
abstract = {Throughout the history of Western popular culture, new emerging forms of media have been perceived as threats to social norms, societal order and moral foundations. The present compilation dissertation situates the medium of digital games into this centuries-old continuum. This study contents that controversies and moral panics that originate from the aforementioned concerns should be perceived as cultural rites of passage for new media, which indicate their transition from one state into another, from periphery into mainstream. This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units, which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence, crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture. The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed.},
keywords = {digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, game studies, game violence, gaming controversy, gaming culture, moral panic},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Throughout the history of Western popular culture, new emerging forms of media have been perceived as threats to social norms, societal order and moral foundations. The present compilation dissertation situates the medium of digital games into this centuries-old continuum. This study contents that controversies and moral panics that originate from the aforementioned concerns should be perceived as cultural rites of passage for new media, which indicate their transition from one state into another, from periphery into mainstream. This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units, which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence, crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture. The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed.
2015
Arjoranta, Jonne
Real-time hermeneutics: Meaning-making in ludonarrative digital games Väitöskirja
Digitaalinen kulttuuri, Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2015, ISBN: 978-951-39-6164-0.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: computer games, definition, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, Gadamer, game studies, Hans-Georg, hermeneutics, language-games, ludonarrative, Ludwig, meaning, narratology, role-playing games, sociology of language and religion, videogames, Wittgenstein
@phdthesis{Arjoranta2015,
title = {Real-time hermeneutics: Meaning-making in ludonarrative digital games},
author = {Jonne Arjoranta},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-6164-0},
isbn = {978-951-39-6164-0},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
school = {Digitaalinen kulttuuri, Jyväskylän yliopisto},
abstract = {Digital games are a relatively new medium. While they have been around for over half a century, they only became a major part of the culture relatively late. Like every other medium before, games also have struggled to find an expressive language of their own. Some of the expressive styles of other media are still relevant for games, but new ones have to be created specifically for videogames.
This dissertation is a study of how ludonarrative videogames, videogames that combine game elements with narrative elements, express and convey meaning. This is done as part of game studies, a multidisciplinary approach to studying games. The purpose is twofold: to build a foundation for better understanding of meaning-making in games, and to provide game designers with tools for analyzing issues related to meaning.
This study uses philosophical tools to analyze meaning in games. The philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer is used to compare the meaning-making in games to the interpretation of works of art. The theory of the interpretive process is based on the idea of the hermeneutic circle. Wittgenstein’s concept of language-games is used in examining how games should be defined and how their relations to each other should be understood. These philosophical methods are combined with the study of procedurality, narrativity and players.
This study shows that ludonarrative games are procedural systems that are interpreted both during gameplay and as a part of the surrounding cultural context. The result of this interpretation is neither predetermined by the game designer nor fixed during gameplay, but potentially open for endless reinterpretation as players interact with the game in new ways and as the cultural context changes. In order to convey meaning, ludonarrative games can borrow expressive tools from other media, for example by using perspective in the way it is used in cinema.
Additionally, this study provides guidelines for designing meaning. It is shown how meaning can be used as a game mechanic, and how games contain unique ways of expressing things that would be hard to convey in other media.},
keywords = {computer games, definition, digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, Gadamer, game studies, Hans-Georg, hermeneutics, language-games, ludonarrative, Ludwig, meaning, narratology, role-playing games, sociology of language and religion, videogames, Wittgenstein},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Digital games are a relatively new medium. While they have been around for over half a century, they only became a major part of the culture relatively late. Like every other medium before, games also have struggled to find an expressive language of their own. Some of the expressive styles of other media are still relevant for games, but new ones have to be created specifically for videogames.
This dissertation is a study of how ludonarrative videogames, videogames that combine game elements with narrative elements, express and convey meaning. This is done as part of game studies, a multidisciplinary approach to studying games. The purpose is twofold: to build a foundation for better understanding of meaning-making in games, and to provide game designers with tools for analyzing issues related to meaning.
This study uses philosophical tools to analyze meaning in games. The philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer is used to compare the meaning-making in games to the interpretation of works of art. The theory of the interpretive process is based on the idea of the hermeneutic circle. Wittgenstein’s concept of language-games is used in examining how games should be defined and how their relations to each other should be understood. These philosophical methods are combined with the study of procedurality, narrativity and players.
This study shows that ludonarrative games are procedural systems that are interpreted both during gameplay and as a part of the surrounding cultural context. The result of this interpretation is neither predetermined by the game designer nor fixed during gameplay, but potentially open for endless reinterpretation as players interact with the game in new ways and as the cultural context changes. In order to convey meaning, ludonarrative games can borrow expressive tools from other media, for example by using perspective in the way it is used in cinema.
Additionally, this study provides guidelines for designing meaning. It is shown how meaning can be used as a game mechanic, and how games contain unique ways of expressing things that would be hard to convey in other media.
This dissertation is a study of how ludonarrative videogames, videogames that combine game elements with narrative elements, express and convey meaning. This is done as part of game studies, a multidisciplinary approach to studying games. The purpose is twofold: to build a foundation for better understanding of meaning-making in games, and to provide game designers with tools for analyzing issues related to meaning.
This study uses philosophical tools to analyze meaning in games. The philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer is used to compare the meaning-making in games to the interpretation of works of art. The theory of the interpretive process is based on the idea of the hermeneutic circle. Wittgenstein’s concept of language-games is used in examining how games should be defined and how their relations to each other should be understood. These philosophical methods are combined with the study of procedurality, narrativity and players.
This study shows that ludonarrative games are procedural systems that are interpreted both during gameplay and as a part of the surrounding cultural context. The result of this interpretation is neither predetermined by the game designer nor fixed during gameplay, but potentially open for endless reinterpretation as players interact with the game in new ways and as the cultural context changes. In order to convey meaning, ludonarrative games can borrow expressive tools from other media, for example by using perspective in the way it is used in cinema.
Additionally, this study provides guidelines for designing meaning. It is shown how meaning can be used as a game mechanic, and how games contain unique ways of expressing things that would be hard to convey in other media.
2009
Sotamaa, Olli
The player's game: Towards understanding player production among computer game cultures Väitöskirja
Mediatutkimus, Turun yliopisto, 2009, ISBN: 978-951-44-7650-1.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, game culture, game industry, player production, player-centred design
@phdthesis{Sotamaa2009,
title = {The player's game: Towards understanding player production among computer game cultures},
author = {Olli Sotamaa},
url = {https://urn.fi/urn:isbn:978-951-44-7651-8},
isbn = {978-951-44-7650-1},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-01-01},
school = {Mediatutkimus, Turun yliopisto},
abstract = {This dissertation presents a cultural approach to player production. The contribution of my work to the current scholarship on players is to broaden the understanding of the relation between play and other forms of game cultural productivity. The dissertation suggests that as the manifestations of gaming hobby break out of magic circle of play , the productive activities of players become central to our understanding of games and gaming.
While game studies have so far been pretty good in identifying the structural elements of game systems and the different motivations of players, they have mostly not touched the larger social structures and industrial systems that ultimately shape both the games that are offered to players and the ways they are played. Whilst we know quite a lot about how the rules can be used to guide and constrict players activities, the rules that direct player production are scarcely investigated. This dissertation provides an approach to how these regulations and byelaws could be studied.
Instead of sticking to the game world boundaries the dissertation turns the focus to the larger dynamics of game culture and examines the opportunities and constraints provided by the current game industry paradigms. The underlying interest is in outlining games as profoundly co-produced entities which can be only understood if both the contributions of developers and other industry bodies and the investments of players are taken into account.
The dissertation consists of six articles and a lengthy overview section. The introductory chapters provide theoretical and historical background for the approach. The articles introduce practical case studies and apply, discuss and develop further the starting points. While various dimensions of player production are elaborated in the introductory chapters, the articles focus mostly on the players productive practices that result in new game elements (game modifications) and the ones that exploit the game software to produce entirely new digital objects (machinima).
The dissertation is committed to a particular notion of the nature of play. I argue that segregating the sphere of play from ordinary life , utility and productivity runs the risk of hiding the similarities and interesting connections between play and the related realms. Rather than happening in a given magic circle , the space for play needs to be negotiated. I have in the thesis examined how these negotiations spread beyond the borders of the game as games are increasingly integrated into our daily lives. Secondly the study suggests that also the boundaries between players and producers are by definition blurred and actively negotiated. I further argue in favour of conceptualizing player production as a network of activities. The composition and dynamics of this network are guided by forms of gaming capital.
Finally, the dissertation seriously questions the tendency of studying media consumption and production in separation. As the media practices are becoming increasingly participatory and co-operative, it is difficult to argue for keeping these domains of research apart from each other. Player production highlights how digital media products are increasingly also tools that allow media consumers not only to personalize their experiences but also to share and circulate their productions. This furthermore underlines the need to abandon the dichotomous and stabile either-or models and the demand for holistic studies of the emerging media culture. While the industry bodies take part in shaping the emerging player cultural formations, it is at the same time increasingly difficult to understand game industry without taking players into account. In this respect, game cultures originate in various sites, often defined both by resistance, exploitation and mutually beneficial relations.},
keywords = {digital games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, game culture, game industry, player production, player-centred design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This dissertation presents a cultural approach to player production. The contribution of my work to the current scholarship on players is to broaden the understanding of the relation between play and other forms of game cultural productivity. The dissertation suggests that as the manifestations of gaming hobby break out of magic circle of play , the productive activities of players become central to our understanding of games and gaming.
While game studies have so far been pretty good in identifying the structural elements of game systems and the different motivations of players, they have mostly not touched the larger social structures and industrial systems that ultimately shape both the games that are offered to players and the ways they are played. Whilst we know quite a lot about how the rules can be used to guide and constrict players activities, the rules that direct player production are scarcely investigated. This dissertation provides an approach to how these regulations and byelaws could be studied.
Instead of sticking to the game world boundaries the dissertation turns the focus to the larger dynamics of game culture and examines the opportunities and constraints provided by the current game industry paradigms. The underlying interest is in outlining games as profoundly co-produced entities which can be only understood if both the contributions of developers and other industry bodies and the investments of players are taken into account.
The dissertation consists of six articles and a lengthy overview section. The introductory chapters provide theoretical and historical background for the approach. The articles introduce practical case studies and apply, discuss and develop further the starting points. While various dimensions of player production are elaborated in the introductory chapters, the articles focus mostly on the players productive practices that result in new game elements (game modifications) and the ones that exploit the game software to produce entirely new digital objects (machinima).
The dissertation is committed to a particular notion of the nature of play. I argue that segregating the sphere of play from ordinary life , utility and productivity runs the risk of hiding the similarities and interesting connections between play and the related realms. Rather than happening in a given magic circle , the space for play needs to be negotiated. I have in the thesis examined how these negotiations spread beyond the borders of the game as games are increasingly integrated into our daily lives. Secondly the study suggests that also the boundaries between players and producers are by definition blurred and actively negotiated. I further argue in favour of conceptualizing player production as a network of activities. The composition and dynamics of this network are guided by forms of gaming capital.
Finally, the dissertation seriously questions the tendency of studying media consumption and production in separation. As the media practices are becoming increasingly participatory and co-operative, it is difficult to argue for keeping these domains of research apart from each other. Player production highlights how digital media products are increasingly also tools that allow media consumers not only to personalize their experiences but also to share and circulate their productions. This furthermore underlines the need to abandon the dichotomous and stabile either-or models and the demand for holistic studies of the emerging media culture. While the industry bodies take part in shaping the emerging player cultural formations, it is at the same time increasingly difficult to understand game industry without taking players into account. In this respect, game cultures originate in various sites, often defined both by resistance, exploitation and mutually beneficial relations.
While game studies have so far been pretty good in identifying the structural elements of game systems and the different motivations of players, they have mostly not touched the larger social structures and industrial systems that ultimately shape both the games that are offered to players and the ways they are played. Whilst we know quite a lot about how the rules can be used to guide and constrict players activities, the rules that direct player production are scarcely investigated. This dissertation provides an approach to how these regulations and byelaws could be studied.
Instead of sticking to the game world boundaries the dissertation turns the focus to the larger dynamics of game culture and examines the opportunities and constraints provided by the current game industry paradigms. The underlying interest is in outlining games as profoundly co-produced entities which can be only understood if both the contributions of developers and other industry bodies and the investments of players are taken into account.
The dissertation consists of six articles and a lengthy overview section. The introductory chapters provide theoretical and historical background for the approach. The articles introduce practical case studies and apply, discuss and develop further the starting points. While various dimensions of player production are elaborated in the introductory chapters, the articles focus mostly on the players productive practices that result in new game elements (game modifications) and the ones that exploit the game software to produce entirely new digital objects (machinima).
The dissertation is committed to a particular notion of the nature of play. I argue that segregating the sphere of play from ordinary life , utility and productivity runs the risk of hiding the similarities and interesting connections between play and the related realms. Rather than happening in a given magic circle , the space for play needs to be negotiated. I have in the thesis examined how these negotiations spread beyond the borders of the game as games are increasingly integrated into our daily lives. Secondly the study suggests that also the boundaries between players and producers are by definition blurred and actively negotiated. I further argue in favour of conceptualizing player production as a network of activities. The composition and dynamics of this network are guided by forms of gaming capital.
Finally, the dissertation seriously questions the tendency of studying media consumption and production in separation. As the media practices are becoming increasingly participatory and co-operative, it is difficult to argue for keeping these domains of research apart from each other. Player production highlights how digital media products are increasingly also tools that allow media consumers not only to personalize their experiences but also to share and circulate their productions. This furthermore underlines the need to abandon the dichotomous and stabile either-or models and the demand for holistic studies of the emerging media culture. While the industry bodies take part in shaping the emerging player cultural formations, it is at the same time increasingly difficult to understand game industry without taking players into account. In this respect, game cultures originate in various sites, often defined both by resistance, exploitation and mutually beneficial relations.