Ludology

As videogames are set to become the dominant pop-cultural medium of the 21st century, this paper aims to provide approaches to a critical reading of Bethesda’s Fallout 4, informed by perspectives of cultural studies. Tracing arguments from the fronts of the ludology/narratology debate, this paper adds the conception of videogames as commodities of a culture industry to provide a critical perspective on the meanings and ideologies negotiated in Fallout 4, one of the most successful games of the last decade. Drawing from various theoretical approaches, salient narrative and ludic aspects of the games are investigated. Among them is the game’s plot, its nostalgic retrofuturistic aesthetic, its ruins and ecology as evocative spaces, its stylization of the gameworld as frontier through its mechanics, and tangible neoliberal ideologies present in its levelling system. Ultimately, it is shown that Fallout 4 is a game negotiating US history and its present. While the engagement with history, most notably the Revolutionary War and slavery, relies on ironic detachment and celebratory excess, its engagement with the present hints on resting anxieties with legacies of slavery and pollution.

This thesis brings together the fields of political communications and games studies, in order to facilitate novel analysis methods for post-broadcast democracies and the digital citizens that inhabit them. Following the process of mediatization, in which the dominant media exerts “moulding forces” over the socio-cultural spheres in which it resides, the author suggests that digital games are a growing component in mediatization, as part of the overall development of the ludification of culture. Consequently, this work implements play and games studies theoretical framework in order to explain how political engagement is shifting from the ideological to the casual, how politicians use game-like mechanics in their campaigns to influence and engage audiences and how the gaming skills of the younger generation are applied also to navigating public battlefields rather than only virtual ones. The author dubs these new forms of engagement “casual politicking”, as it prioritizes non-committing and mundane actions facilitated through the amalgamation of digital devices and social practices arising from ICT and games culture. Such forms are dependent on actions more than words, evoking and harnessing impulsive bursts of productivity that serves certain issues, utilizing technological interfaces and social connectedness of users. The author concludes by suggesting that future propagation of playful and gameful practices in political communications implores the employment of additional research framework from cultural studies and humanities to supplement traditional tool of communications.

El videojuego siempre se ha nutrido del cine para narrar historias y son abundantes los estudios sobre esta influencia. Por ello, en este trabajo se plantea un análisis de la aportación inversa, lo que le han dado narrativamente los videojuegos al cine, y se trata de evidenciar si hay recursos que hagan la misma función en ambos medios. De esta manera, se observan los aspectos más generales de la narración cinematográfica en tres películas modelo y se buscan simulaciones interactivas dentro de ellas.

The article is about the self-agency relation of a player and perspectives of view in computer games. The ability of an action "on" the screen and inside the game world is that what makes the player to be both the consumer and creator. The Ability of operating on avatar, direct navigating in the virtual space and a controlling over camera are reshaping the perspective of the view which is known from visual narrative media. Technological extenses of the screen so as cameras, are looking at the player and scanning himself and the space around him by electronic sensors. It makes possible to complement visual contents with details from reality. However, the player thanks to prime mover given to him by mechanic and graphic interfaces, can react on the content in the real time and manipulate at the same time.

Wien war vom Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts an einige Jahrzehnte lang Welthauptstadt der Schwerathletik. Gewichtheber-Klubs mit Sportlern und Publikum aus dem Arbeitermilieu fand man in fast jedem Wiener Vorstadt-Wirtshaus. Der Text zeichnet Entwicklung, Hochzeit und Niedergang des Wiener Gewichthebens und seines kulturellen Umfelds nach.

Dusl, Andrea Maria (In: Strouhal, Ernst / Zollinger, Manfred / Felderer, Brigitte [Hrsg.]: Spiele der Stadt / Glück, Gewinn und Zeitvertreib / 384. Sonderausstellung des Wien Museums, Wien / New York, 2012.)

Dijital oyunlarda gelişen retrofütürizm ve retro oyun akımları teknoloji, toplum ve kültür ilişkisini ele almak için
verimli örnekler sunmaktadır. Oyun endüstrisi sıklıkla daha yüksek teknolojiye sahip yeni donanım ve yazılımlardan
faydalanmakla ve anlatıda popüler konulara yönelmekle birlikte, özellikle bağımsız oyun (indy games) olarak
nitelendirebileceğimiz alanda farklı denemelere rastlamak da mümkündür. Dijital oyunlarda retro fütürist (retrofuturism)
anlatılar ve retro oyuna (retrogaming) ait oynanış (Aarseth, 2003) biçimleri toplum ve teknoloji ilişkisini iki farklı örnekte ele
alma imkânı sunmaktadır.
Retrofütürizm geçmişin gelecek öngörülerinin kullanılmasına dayalı sanatsal bir eğilim veya akademik bir ilgi alanıdır.
Sanat ve iletişimin çeşitli dallarında, özellikle de sinema ve bilgisayar oyunlarında geçmiş zamana ait formlarla birlikte
geçmişin geleceğe ait tasarımlarının buluşturulması ile icra edilmektedir. Günümüzden bakan izleyici veya oyuncu için
geçmişin ve gerçekleşememiş gelecek tasavvurunun bir araya gelişi çelişen veya çatışan görünümleri taşımaktadır. Bu
çelişkiler ise bir yandan nostaljiye (Sharp, 2011), öte yandan da bilim kurgunun çeşitli örneklerinde olduğu gibi teknoloji,
modernite, tüketim toplumu ve kapitalizmin eleştirisine uç vermektedir (Davidson, 2019). İlk oyunu 1997 yılında
yayınlanan Fallout oyun serisi dışında Encased (2019) ve Atom RPG (2017) de retrofütürizme örnektir.
Retro oyun eski bilgisayar oyunlarına ilgi duyan bir arşivleme ve oynama faaliyetidir. Ayrıca eski oynanış ve grafiklere
dönen, tasarımda bunları tercih eden yeni oyunlar için de kullanılmaktadır. Oyuncuların eskiye ilgisi sadece nostaljik bir
içerik taşımamaktadır. Oyunun kültür içindeki yeri çerçevesinde oynanış esas öğelerden biri olarak geleneksel oyunlardan
günümüz oyunlarına kadar taşınan, değişen ve korunan unsurdur. Retro oyun geçmişe ait bu formlara ve bu formların yeni
örneklerdeki hallerine yönelerek teknolojiye eleştirel bir bakış sunmaktadır (Heineman, 2014).
Transhumanizm, Society 5.0, Mars’a yolculuk gibi yeni dönemin hedef, kavram ve örneklerinde ifade bulan fütüristik
yaklaşımlarındaki teknoloji söylemine, retro fütürizm ve retro oyun eleştirel karşıtlıklar olarak konumlandırılabilir.

Il mio progetto di ricerca intende prendere in analisi alcuni prodotti multimediali (videogames, giochi di ruolo, avventure grafiche) che riprendono opere significative della letteratura italiana, o anche rielaborano motivi, tematiche, ambienti legati alla nostra tradizione culturale, comprendendo di essa ulteriori declinazioni popolari e folkloriche. L’obiettivo principale del presente lavoro è definire, al di là delle differenze formali e contenutistiche tra fonte e riscrittura, se e in che misura siano mantenute significazioni del testo di partenza (L. Hutcheon, A Theory of Adaption, 2006),  quali funzioni rivestano modifiche ed adeguamenti, come si configuri il ruolo del lettore/giocatore nelle rielaborazioni.
Primo in ordine cronologico è il gioco di ruolo Orlando Furioso, di Andrea Angiolino e Gianluca Meluzzi, del quale esiste una prima versione didattica per le scuole, edita nel 1993, e una seconda ampliata, pubblicata nel 2002 da Rose § Poison e arricchita da una guida ai luoghi del poema. L’ambiente ludico riprende di fatto l’intero ciclo carolingio e bretone, integrando le vicende ariostesche con l’Orlando Innamorato del Boiardo. I valori cavallereschi, riassunti in Agilità, Forza Dialettica, Concentrazione, Vitalità, Eroismo, sono a disposizione dei giocatori, mentre il narratore crea le trame utilizzando le conoscenze – personaggi reali, figure mitologiche, oggetti magici e non -  fornite dal testo, che si avvale delle illustrazioni di Gustave Doré. Presenza del magico e dell’avventuroso, tensione fra casualità dell’esistenza (i giocatori agiscono anche tirando i dadi) ed equilibrio, già elementi fondanti del poema, diventano componenti del gioco, da utilizzare per immergersi da protagonisti in un mondo al quale possono essere aggregate narrazioni ‘esterne’, mitologiche e folkloriche, come già in parte avviene nell’opera originaria. L’interazione fra giocatori determina inoltre una campitura architettonica complessa, con rimandi, entralacement, ritorni, affine a quella ariostesca; la coppia giocatore/narratore quindi rielabora, ed elabora,  questo e altri infiniti poemi, rendendo il  poema di Ariosto testo ‘scrivibile’,  secondo la definizione di Roland Barthes in S/Z (1970) : non più soltanto un prodotto ‘leggibile’, chiuso, ma connesso ad altri testi e attivatore di ulteriori significati nella cultura contemporanea.
Il secondo prodotto che intendo analizzare è il videogioco Dante’s Inferno, distribuito da Electronic Arts nel 2010; screenwriter Brandon Auman. La trama, che presenta un Dante crociato diretto all’Inferno per salvare Beatrice rapita da Lucifero, è stata stigmatizzata come irrispettoso ‘stravolgimento’ del testo originario (Barolini, Entertainment Weekly, 2010). In realtà, se il gioco sfronda la fonte letteraria di ogni complessità, esaltando il momento interattivo fra il protagonista e le figure infernali come combattimento videoludico, il senso del viaggio dantesco come percorso spirituale viene esteriorizzato ma non stravolto: Dante si confronta effettivamente con i propri peccati, incarnati nei demoni che incontra nei diversi gironi, e l’aumento della violenza e pericolosità degli scontri corrisponde alla profondità della colpa da espiare.  La stessa modalità di gioco, che consente al fruitore di vivere in prima persona la discesa agli Inferi, sembra rispondere all’intento dantesco di allargare l’esperienza personale ( “mi ritrovai”)  ad ogni individuo ed a tutta l’umanità (“nostra vita”).
In ogni caso, nonostante le infedeltà, il videogioco ha il merito di rendere concreto ed alla portata di un vastissimo pubblico il mondo dell’inferno dantesco, grazie ad ambientazioni di alto livello qualitativo, dove suoni, colori, silenzi ricreano in modo efficace l’atmosfera dell’opera originale. Ne è derivata un significativo interesse per l’opera di Dante, soprattutto nei paesi anglosassoni, interesse riscontrabile facilmente sul web, ma non esattamente quantificabile proprio per la vastità del fenomeno: cercando termini collegati a Dante, quali Divine Comedy o simili, sono presenti su Google più di un milione di siti e pagine web.
Il presente progetto, accogliendo i suggerimenti forniti da analoghi lavori di Tison Pugh, Angela Jane Weisl, Denise Ayo, intende quindi stabilire le possibili connessioni fra tradizione dantesca e immaginario contemporaneo, per determinare modalità e limiti di un’attualizzazione che ripensa interamente il Dante della tradizione letteraria.
A conclusione del mio discorso intendo esaminare l’avventura grafica Occultus, cabala mediterranea (2016), sviluppata dal gruppo Sylphe Labs (Luca Alba, Paolo Gallo, Filippo M. Vela). Il gioco presenta una Palermo di primo Novecento, città di intrighi e mostri, esoterica e cabalistica: un anziano antiquario perseguitato da una maledizione di famiglia chiede aiuto al nipote, che dovrà fronteggiare creature soprannaturali, misteri inquietanti, pericolosi gruppi settari quali i Beati Paoli. Il giocatore attraversa luoghi dove la splendida realtà di superficie- antiche strade, piazze, monumenti sono fedelmente riprodotti – nasconde un sottosuolo orrifico, svelato tramite gli enigmi da affrontare per procedere nella dinamica ludica; la matrice culturale è il feuilleton siciliano, da I misteri di Palermo (1852) di Benedetto Naselli, ai Beati Paoli ( 1909/1910) di Luigi Natoli, ma anche la ricerca antropologica di Giuseppe Pitrè, che mostra la perturbante contiguità fra sfera del quotidiano e soprannaturale. Il gioco permette l’esperienza diretta e sensoriale, visiva e auditiva, dei sotterranei palermitani, mostrati nel percorso labirintico dei Qanat, come luogo di miseria, corruzione, terrore; se le trame arcane della vicenda e i destini prefissati dei personaggi si esplicano nell’ambito del fantastico, è adombrata una valenza politica e insieme l’immagine del violento e sopraffattorio potere aristocratico, ampiamente presente nei testi /fonte.
I prodotti multimediali esaminati quindi, per quanto distanti dalle rispettive matrici letterarie, ne rappresentano valide forme di riscrittura, che riattivano i sensi delle opere/fonte inserendole in un circuito di ricezione contemporanea, confermandone altresì lo status di ‘opera aperta’ (Umberto Eco, 1962), tale cioè da permettere l’incontro creativo fra autore e lettore.

""This chapter presents an analysis of ecological empowerment as a theme in digital game narratives. Since game mechanics often are designed so that players gain more powerful ways of interacting with a game environment (improved abilities) it is argued games are particularly good at telling stories about characters who can perceive and utilize spectacular affordances. Games do not only tell the story of ecological empowerment, they do in fact empower the player in the
game world. This analysis thus shows that games can be seen as a specific context for storytelling and thus explain why some themes and narrative elements seem to be overrepresented in games.""

Please see: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/cultural-code

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Video games are becoming an ever more ubiquitous element of daily life, played by millions on devices that range from smart phones to desktop computers. An examination of this phenomenon reveals that video games are increasingly being converted into cultural currency for a variety of purposes across the globe. For video game designers, culture is a resource that can be incorporated into games; for players, local gaming practices and specific social contexts can affect their playing experiences. In Cultural Code, Phillip Penix-Tadsen shows how culture uses games and how games use culture, looking at examples related to Latin America. Both static code and subjective play have been shown to contribute to the meaning of games; Penix-Tadsen introduces culture as a third level of creating meaning.

Penix-Tadsen focuses first on how culture uses games, looking at the diverse practices of play in Latin America, the ideological and intellectual uses of games, and the creative and economic possibilities opened up by video games in Latin America—the evolution of regional game design and development. Examining how games use culture, Penix-Tadsen discusses in-game cultural representations of Latin America in a range of popular titles (pointing out, for example, appearances of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue in games from Call of Duty to the tourism-promoting Brasil Quest). He analyzes this through semiotics, the signifying systems of video games and the specific signifiers of Latin American culture; space, how culture is incorporated into different types of game environments; and simulation, the ways that cultural meaning is conveyed procedurally and algorithmically through gameplay mechanics.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Toward a Cultural Ludology

Part I: How Culture Uses Games
1 Play
2 Persuasion
3 Potential

Part II: How Games Use Culture
4 Semiotics
5 Space
6 Simulation

Afterword: Decoding Culture

Notes
Index

resumo
Os jogos são pervasivos à vida, existem em todos os lugares e todas as épocas. Seus números são incontáveis, assim como incontáveis são suas formas, nomes e modos de funcionamento. Por isso a importância de estudá-los é sempre presente. A sua variedade e mobilidade, entretanto, torna os jogos um fenômeno difícil de compreender. Esse trabalho é um esforço em elaborar ferramentas teóricas capazes de lidar com essa variedade sem capturá-las em categorias rígidas. Propõe-se que as categorias ludus e paidia, propostas por Roger Caillois em seu estudo sobre os jogos, pode funcionar como consistentes ferramentas de leitura da dinâmica lúdica. No trabalho trata-se o lúdico como o jogo de forças entre ludus e paidia. É através desse jogo de forças que o jogo adquire mobilidade e se abre para diferentes tipos de formações lúdicas possíveis, numa rede de entrelaçamentos que leva em conta questões culturais, sociais e históricas.


Palavras-chave: Jogo. Ludus. Paidia. Formação lúdica. Jogo de Mesa. Jogo de Tabuleiro.

This article presents the category of emersion in videogames. The author of this article understands emersion as an experience of such elements of a game that weaken the impression of non-mediated participation in events presented in the game (some researchers call this impression "immersion"). Emersive elements of the game reveal the mediated character of the action the player takes part in. Emersion may have varied status: it may be incidental (e.g. when it is a result of an unforeseen glitch), repeatable (e.g. as a result of a mechanism typical for a specific genre) or designed.
The last case seems to be the most interesting one, because designed emerisve elements may provide meaningful or artistic results. Designed emersive factors bring new possibilities of creation, which are not achievable through the non-digital and non-interactive forms of expression.

This paper discusses traditional vampire tropes as a tool for innovation and novel experiences in the history of video games. A selection of games and vampires will be analysed in terms of  gameplay and storytelling elements to show how the rich  mythology and folklore that characterises these liminal beings can be successfully employed in a variety of settings and contexts. We draw on examples from the early days of video games with titles like “Dracula” (Imagic for Intellivision, 1982) set in a virtual London and evoking European folklore, to the rich possibilities offered by “Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines” (Activision for PC, 2004) which conjures up the sub-tropical New Orleans vampire tradition, and then turn to the latest experimental games using the example  of “Tainted” (ITE/NUS for PC, 2016), which taps into the rich Pontianak vampire-ghost myths of the Malay Archipelago. Different experiences will be discussed via explanatory lenses – such as  Labov’s (1972, 1997) narr...

Notes from my guest lecture for a Game Studies course at Trent University. Leaning on Julian Dibbell's book Play Money, I attempt to sketch a connection between video games and economics, showing that game-playing has taken on aspects of traditional labour, while economics has become more game-like.

This paper presents two cases on the varied approaches of game-based learning as implemented at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and relevant studies which show the advantages of these approaches in formal education settings For the ludopedagogic case, the use of the computer game Democracy 2 in specified classes at the College of Development Communication (CDC) and College of Human Ecology (CHE) was described. Democracy 2 was used in both institutions as an integrative learning medium, where students were tasked to play the game and share their insights and realizations (through reflective reports) on development issues and the role of government policy on social development. Benefits of using the game were higher-order learning and better appreciation of the complex interactions of the different elements of society on development. For the ludoandragogic case, the Game for Learning (G4L) designed for DEVC 40 (Fundamentals of Educational Communication and Technology), a foundation course offered by CDC, was identified. The course delivery method was modified to accommodate two game systems and technologies (Frets on Fire X, d6) so that the assessment of learner achievement was done through gameplay during and outside class hours. Students found the G4L enjoyable, immersive, and engaging; the course content was also found to be relevant by the students as the content was directly accessible to them through the gameplay. Currently, UPLB faculty are trained to use these game-based learning approaches with a half-day lecture hosted by the Interactive Learning Center (ILC) and showcases the two approaches mentioned. The lecture, part of a one-week seminar and workshop series, culminates with the proposal of learning object designs; some of these designs have adopted gamified mechanics or ludopedagogic approaches.

Storytelling in games in the early years of game studies was seen as being in conflict with gameplay. Departing from that debate, I argue that it is productive to see video games as a composite form supporting different frames for involvement. Against this backdrop the article reports an interview study with game developers, asking what it means to author stories for a composite form. The main results show that the developers do not see storytelling as the defining trait of video games, but as a component in a whole product. The developers display a specific gaze for how players shift their attention between frames. An important skill for the developers is to try to control these shifts in order to enforce the emotions they want the player to have. This specific skill is labelled framework orchestration. Stories are here but one of the tools the developers have at their disposal.

My research will attempt to determine how award academies choose their nominations through the analysis of select musical aesthetics. As a trained musician (pianist) and avid gamer, I will bring my two passions together, contributing to the field of ludomusicology (the study of video game music). My research consists of an overview of video game scores spanning a decade (2004-2013) with a select sample of three soundtracks per year (a total of thirty soundtracks). The samples will be taken from the BAFTA-(British Academy of Film and Television Arts), VGX-(formerly known as Spike), and D.I.C.E. awards (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain). Through engaging a music theory macro analysis, I will discuss melodic themes used in each soundtrack, the setting of the score (instrumental or electronic), and whether the soundtrack samples contain the epic musical idiom. At the end of my dissertation my research reveals what kind of music these award academy panels favour. If the award academies are a reflection of popular taste, my research indicates what the audiences like to hear in video game music.

Ever get the feeling that life's a game with changing rules and no clear sides, one you are compelled to play yet cannot win? Welcome to gamespace. Gamespace is where and how we live today. It is everywhere and nowhere: the main chance, the best shot, the big leagues, the only game in town. In a world thus configured, McKenzie Wark contends, digital computer games are the emergent cultural form of the times. Where others argue obsessively over violence in games, Wark approaches them as a utopian version of the world in which we actually live. Playing against the machine on a game console, we enjoy the only truly level playing field--where we get ahead on our strengths or not at all.

Gamer Theory uncovers the significance of games in the gap between the near-perfection of actual games and the highly imperfect gamespace of everyday life in the rat race of free-market society. The book depicts a world becoming an inescapable series of less and less perfect games. This world gives rise to a new persona. In place of the subject or citizen stands the gamer. As all previous such personae had their breviaries and manuals, Gamer Theory seeks to offer guidance for thinking within this new character. Neither a strategy guide nor a cheat sheet for improving one's score or skills, the book is instead a primer in thinking about a world made over as a gamespace, recast as an imperfect copy of the game.

Character Creation Mechanics
One of the biggest pleasures of role-playing games is the possibility to play as a fictional character. The character creation and  development processes constitute the identity of a given game. In this paper, I want to observe and describe the possibilities of building character identity through rule system. In the discussion about the elements of representation of a given game character, often its mechanical side is ignored. This paper concentrates on the character creation and development processes of two tabletop RPG games. As an example I’ve chosen a classic – Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and a more modern Polish system – Klanarchia. The materials for the analysis will be character sheets and rulebooks for both games. I will use the game elements terminology of M. Sicart, the ludological perspective of authors like J. Juul and E. Aarseth, and also the GNS theory, popular amongst RPG designers. The results of the game rules study will serve thebetter understanding of different ways for mechanical character identity creation and its relationship to the style in which the games are designed.

Mechaniki tworzenia postaci
Jedną z najważniejszych przyjemności gier RPG jest możliwość wcielania się w wyobrażone postaci. Proces kreowania i rozwijania ich tożsamości będzie określał charakter danej gry. W poniższym artykule chcę przyjrzeć się możliwościom konstruowania tożsamości bohatera gracza, jakie projektanci implementują w systemach reguł gier. W dyskusji o elementach reprezentacji postaci, a najczęściej w takich kategoriach przedstawia się tożsamość bohaterów, nierzadko zapomina się o wymiarze mechanicznym gry. Mój artykuł skupia się na warstwie zasad i reguł kreacji oraz rozwoju postaci dwóch systemów RPG. Za przykład posłuży klasyczna gra Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 oraz bardziej współczesna Klanarchia. Materiałami do analizy będą karty postaci obu systemów oraz fragmenty podręczników. Posłużę się językiem opisu reguł gier Miguela Sicarta oraz ludologiczną perspektywą takich autorów jak Jesper Juul i Espen Aarseth, a także popularną wśród projektantów gier fabularnych tzw. teorią GNS. Wyniki badania zasad obu gier pozwolą zrozumieć sposoby budowania tożsamości mechanicznej bohatera gracza oraz ich związek ze stylem zabawy, jakie proponuje każdy z przywoływanych tytułów.

SUMMARY When approaching a new field of study, in this case, video games, one of the first tasks is to analyze the existing and governing theories. Such approach provides two very strong claims which are decidedly different – ludology and narratology. The difficulty lies in the varieties and the medium of games. On the former, it must be noted that Tetris, a puzzle video game, very simple in narrative terms, and Dragon Age: Origins, a role-playing video game which is mostly story-driven, both belong to the category of video games. Trying to combine the two in order to find common properties is quite difficult, since their genres make them decidedly different. Literature does not have the same genre related issues, which is why most critics argue against a narrative approach to video games. Mass Effect trilogy stands as an example of middle grounds, with strong characters and compelling narrative properties, characteristics only available through action and gameplay. While some information is presented in the form of text, other is influenced by the player, thus changing the manner of experiencing the narrative. By comparing the reader to the player, it is obvious that the medium expands the role of the receiver, since the reader of the games becomes the author to an extent. Mass Effect series should be observed as a new way of storytelling, one that involves a greater level of investment. When approaching a new field of study, usually one of the first tasks is to analyze the existing and governing theories. In case of video games, such approach provides two very strong claims which are decidedly different – ludology and narratology. While the former tries to create a fresh start for a new and promising art form, the latter tries to prove that no new approach is required, since the reimagining of the existing one is enough. In analyzing BioWare's Mass Effect trilogy, consisting of Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010) and Mass Effect 3 (2012), both approaches are appropriate and insufficient at the same time. Therefore, a new approach is required, that of video games with strong narrative properties. Since the release year of the last installment of the series is 2012, and the games are revolutionary in many aspects, either through innovation or through the improvement of the old properties of other games, it is understandable why no comprehensive studies exist yet. However, an attempt must be made to analyze and, subsequently, explain the demand that Mass Effect trilogy creates for a modification of the field and the dismissal of certain preexisting conditions.

The editors of this CfP are already in discussion with the MIT Press GAME HISTORIES SERIES editors who enthusiastically voiced support for the collection. The website of the series: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/series/game-histories.
The deadline for submitting the abstract is May 1, 2022.

We say "playing is learning"! Or "war is a cruel game"! No accident that war games are one of the most prolific strands. Maths has even a "game theory", which applies to complex phenomena, such as finance; more generally we could understand the whole social organization or the entire history or life itself as "games"! And not surprisingly, there are management Video Games like Civilization, Democracy, Sims,Tropico etc. where actually you manage complex organizations and relationships! We use the verb "to play" referring to actors performances, instead of "to take a role". The word "game" refers to an anthropological characteristic constitutive of our biological species. It is something that is intimately linked to human nature, a sort of projection or simulation practiced since an early age that has a certain importance in growing and learning; I think everyone played "doctor and patient" when he was child. We have never stopped to play, adults games have just become more sophisticated and serious, so that they sometime can also "degenerate": think of gambling and extreme sexual games. Obviously sports are games; we are wearing masks and playing roles also at work and in society. Etc. etc. Do you see? Gaming doesn't mean just playing with toys! Game is an experience in which the player immerse himself, usually different than his ordinary life. Playing means interpreting a role in a context other then the usual, with specific rules of its own.

This innovative text examines videogames and gaming from the point of view of discourse analysis. In particular, it studies two major aspects of videogame-related communication: the ways in which videogames and their makers convey meanings to their audiences, and the ways in which gamers, industry professionals, journalists and other stakeholders talk about games. In doing so, the book offers systematic analyses of games as artefacts and activities, and the discourses surrounding them.

Focal areas explored in this book include:

• aspects of videogame textuality and how games relate to other texts
• the formation of lexical terms and use of metaphor in the language of gaming
• gamer slang and 'buddylects'
• the construction of game worlds and their rules, of gamer identities and communities
• dominant discourse patterns among gamers and how they relate to the nature of gaming
• the multimodal language of games and gaming
• the ways in which ideologies of race, gender, media effects and language are constructed.

Informed by the very latest scholarship and illustrated with topical examples throughout, The Language of Gaming is ideal for students of applied linguistics, videogame studies and media studies who are seeking a wide-ranging introduction to the field.

The ability of computers to produce ‘presence’ – the visceral feeling of actually ‘being there’ – is typically associated with the presentation of intensive graphical effects. But studies on presence indicate that what players are able to ‘do’ in fact contributes more to their sense of presence than graphical realism. Keeping this in mind, I explore possibilities for 'performing’ presence in digital narratives, particularly through the non-graphical digital medium of interactive fiction. I draw from critical theorists (Barthes, Iser and especially Gumbrecht) as well as theorists of new media (Aarseth, Ryan, Montfort) to frame an investigation into two major aspects of presence production in interactive fiction, namely: 1) how interactive fiction generates presence through the exclusive use of verbal signifiers rather than graphical images, and 2) how it allows users to generate presence themselves through their own actions. I conclude by examining three works of interactive fiction: Adventure, All Roads and Luminous Horizon (Crowther and Woods 1975–6; Ingold 2006; O’Brian 2004).

Ostatnimi laty w branży gier wideo na popularności zyskuje trend umieszczania dojrzałych treści w produkcjach typu AAA. W związku z tym, uznaniem cieszą się coraz bardziej innowacyjne formalnie podejścia do kwestii moralności. Najnowsze gry prezentują konsumentom wybory moralne starannie wplecione w całość fabularną i mechaniczną. Pojawiające się w rozgrywce sytuacje wyboru moralnego w sposób organiczny łączą znaczenia płynące z fabuły gry z wnioskami płynącymi z interpretacji mechaniki. Posługując się sposobem analizy gry autorstwa Iana Bogosta oraz podziałem mechaniki wg Miguela Sicarta przyjrzę się sytuacjom wyborów moralnych od strony ich formy mechanicznej. Zaprezentuję analizę mechaniki w wyborze moralnym z gry Wiedźmin 2: Zabójcy Królów. W podsumowaniu opiszę krótką typologię wyborów moralnych pojawiających się w grach komputerowych.

El presente artículo analiza el fenómeno lúdico desde la base, centrándose en explicar en qué consiste jugar (y videojugar).
Concretamente, el artículo se interesa por el fenómeno de los videojuegos y su gran importancia en la sociedad, destacando que es un medio con características propias, al que aproximarse con metodologías y técnicas concretas.

Expressive and narrative features of Video Games (VG) are bread and butter of Video Games Art. In my articles I often make implicit comparison between artistic evolution of Cinema and VG's. Here I want to clarify such comparison; the degree of detail cannot be high, so forgive the essentiality of certain passages that otherwise would require very articulated dissertations. I trust in readers to have a basic knowledge of the history of Cinema; usually followers of Video Games Art are quite educated! In the end you can find an unprecedented comparison with Comics, another important medium established in the 20th century, whose evolution has several common points with VG's. Even in this case I count on readers to have a basic knowledge of Comics history.

Within videogame culture there are many references to famous breaks of the fourth wall: Psycho Mantis' reading of the memory card in Metal Gear Solid, X-Men's use of the Sega Megadrive's reset button, Startropics' use of the letter packaged with the game, and so on. This article concerns a new conception of the fourth wall in gamerelevant terms, being conceived as expansions and contractions of the magic circle. Expansions of the magic circle occur when the synthetic world of the game expands beyond the screen, encompassing the technological apparatus of the console/PC or the paratexts packaged with the game. Contractions occur when the magic circle shrinks behind the display, e.g. Sonic tapping his knuckles upon the screen or the game crashing. In unpacking and re-conceiving the notion of the fourth wall in gaming terms, this article hopes to provide a valuable analytical perspective concerning the use of these expansions and contractions by developers and players, and their impact on wider media culture.

The Resident Evil series is, as Capcom’s Yoshiaki Hirabayashi puts it, ‘central to the survival horror genre’ And I believe that analysing the first title of this seminal series will prove helpful in uncovering some of the reasons why the Survival Horror Genre has proven to be so successful.

Los videojuegos se han convertido en uno de los principales medios de entretenimiento y comunicación de nuestro tiempo, una plataforma cultural de gran impacto en la sociedad. Por tanto, consideramos necesario atender a los discursos que encierran y a los valores que transmiten. En ese sentido, consideramos de gran relevancia abordar la problemática de género en los videojuegos y abrir un debate en torno al sexismo y el papel de la mujer en estos mundos virtuales. Por eso, en este artículo se plantea un análisis de la imagen de las mujeres en los videojuegos a partir del análisis audiovisual.

Para abordar esta problemática ponemos en juego un análisis audiovisual de una cantidad considerable de videojuegos, materializado en un análisis genealógico y sociohermenéutico de los materiales seleccionados. Si bien hay espacio en este estudio para un breve análisis cuantitativo, el verdadero peso recae sobre la metodología cualitativa, siempre desde una visión sociológica.

Esta investigación abre el camino a nuevos estudios similares, centrados en otros aspectos de los videojuegos y no sólo en el género. Además, invitamos a que se estudie también el papel de las videojugadoras en el mundo vidolúdico, que sin duda es de gran interés para comprender este medio y su evolución en los últimos años.

While many strategy games (both real-time- and turn-based-) use a fictionalized Earth history as a backdrop for their ludic elements, few seek to faithfully represent the progression of music history via the use of pre-existing music. Soren Johnson’s Civilization IV stands alone as it presents a thorough retelling of music history, with representative works from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern Eras, including works by Josquin, Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, and American minimalist composer, John Adams. The game’s lead designer and AI programmer, Soren Johnson, personally selected each track included in the underscoring playlists. Drawing heavily upon new interviews with the game designers, this paper explores Soren Johnson’s personal representation of music history, analyzing in particular his use of John Sheppard’s Media Vita, Saint-Säens’s Cello Concerto No.1,  Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and the works of John Adams. I also discuss the implications of Johnson’s personalized version of history and argue that we can identify him with auteur film directors. The paper also addresses the potential for Civilization IV to educate its players in genres they may have been unfamiliar with, helping them contextualize and appreciate previously unfamiliar musics.

Lo primero será revisar un poco la Arquitectura de computadoras en sus formas más básicas. Pasaremos rápidamente por periféricos en los ordenadores primitivos. Seguidamente la caja mística Baer/Bushnell el PONG o Telebolito. Luego revisaremos un computador casero (homebrew), la famosa caja "Apple I". Como plato principal arbitrariamente organizaremos y repasaremos un poco esto del cómo funcionan los periféricos.
Finalizaremos con un pequeño ejemplo con el fin de repasar todos los temas tratados abusando un poco de la Sony Playstation 1 de 1994.

Gamification of Learning and game-based education are now mainstream in the Western educational ecosystem. For example, several universities, through departments established to perform game studies in the early 2000s, are already offering multidisciplinary game-oriented courses; these deal with game design, game-based learning, and games as a medium of entertainment and education. Other institutions, such as Quest 2 Learn (Q2L), have embraced game-based education as their central learning paradigm. Q2L is a middle and high school in the USA that uses game-based pedagogy and andragogy to teach courses in the prescribed curriculum. As early as 2012, this researcher proposed several policies for the adoption of game-based education into the learning systems of the University of the Philippines (UP) System. This paper proposes to take those policies and perform a comprehensive action research on the establishment of game-based education as a learning paradigm in UP Diliman. This research will employ case studies focused on the study and implementation of the following policies proposed in 2012: 1. Creation of interdisciplinary Game-based Education Committee in UP Diliman; 2. Utilization of the Interactive Learning Center (ILC) for game-based learning sessions and game development assistance of faculty; 3. Reorienting courses which may fully utilize game-based education methodologies; 4. Using game-based learning methodologies to enhance large class lecture/recitation classes; 5. Developing a ludoliteracy (game literacy) general education course; and 6. Selling and/or licensing effective game-based learning products developed by UPD to private institutions and the general public. Each of the research's six (6) threads may be undertaken simultaneously and in varying depth, depending on UPD's decision to study, refine, and implement each policy. It is hoped that by studying how the UPD adopts game-based education, a " roadmap " or framework may be developed to help other constituent universities in the UP System successfully adopt the same learning paradigm.

Artykuł w zamyśle ma stanowić pomoc dla nauczycieli historii szukających niestandardowych metod nauczania. Zawiera szkic historii gier o tematyce historycznej wydawanych w Polsce.

The article intention is to provide help for history teachers looking for non-standard methods of teaching. It contains a sketch of the history of games published in Poland.

Los videojuegos, en el espacio contemporáneo actual, presentan la mayor carga de convergencia e hibridación existente entre los distintos medios artísticos, cuya especificidad conjuga el acto narrativo y el acto de jugar, a través de la inmersión ejecutada por un individuo jugador en los mundos virtuales. Cuando hablamos de videojuegos, tenemos que tener presente dos estructuras fundamentales en su concepción, la estructura narrativa (generada por las cutscenes o cinemáticas) y la estructura lúdica (generada por la acción de jugar, ya que es el juego quien coadyuva el relato), estas al complementarse con el proceso de inmersión (que se propicia por medio de la acción del jugador) conforman una narrativa interactiva, siendo esta la que permite destacar a los videojuegos en el terreno multidisciplinar de los actuales Estudios Visuales.
Debido a que no existe una metodología para el análisis de los videojuegos, hemos propuesto la creación de una estructura Ludo-Narrativa para su análisis, basada principalmente en la narratología cinematográfica (narrativa) y la ludología (jugabilidad). Las cuales se aplicarán a tres casos de estudios: Super Mario Bros (1985), La Leyenda de Zelda: Ocarina del Tiempo (1998) y Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), donde se expondrán las semejanzas y diferencias con el cine y a su vez sus especificidades como medio audiovisual interactivo.

Author of the chapter approaches the concept of immersion from a philological perspective and concentrates on those mechanisms and effects, which weaken the phenomenon in question. All those mechanisms • described collectively as •emersive effects• • are considered in terms of their influence on the game structure, on the cohesion of the game world, and on possible interpretations. Occurring on various game levels, the emersive effects are sometimes a result of creator•s mistakes, other times they are embedded in the convention of a game. The effects in question might also be achieved deliberately • for artistic or humorous purposes. 1