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Sebastian Deterding (@dingstweets) Digital Creativity Labs, University of York DiGRA/FDG 2016, August 3, 2016
progress wars
Idle Games and the Demarcation of “Real Games”
we live in a time where some reject existing notions of “games” or “gamers” …
… while others fiercly defend the boundaries of “Real Gamestm”
consalvo and paul presciently observed this process with facebook games.
as did bateman with game scholars & designers: “ontology entails value theory.”
notably, they don’t talk about “them.”
#GG
they talk about “us.”
to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.
to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.
How – through what practical and rhetorical work – do game makers and scholars maintain or extend
the boundary of “games”?
research question
How – through what practical and rhetorical boundary work – do
game makers maintain or extend the boundary of “games”?
case study: idle games
rpg progress mechanics, compound interest, grinding, and “virtual skill”
resource (xp, loot, …)
source (skill, buff,
production, …)
“mindless” clicking/time
the three stages of idle games.
1. Boundary-drawing parody 2. Boundary-blurring experiment 3. Boundary-extending genre
<1> boundary-drawing
parody
not games: metagames
progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat
progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat
progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat
statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics
statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics
statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics
achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems
achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems
progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games
progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games
progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games
cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification
cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification
cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification
the obdurate audience
cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play
cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play
progress wars, 2010: distancing derision
<2> boundary-blurring
experiment
candy box, aniwey, 2013
candy box, aniwey, 2013
candy box, 2013: baffled enjoyment
candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation
candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation
candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation
candy box: unironic theorycrafting
cookie clicker, julien thiennot, 2013
“pointless experiments”
non-derisive, curious exploration
strategy guides
optimiser tools
speedruns
autoclickers
twitch streamers, complete with fundraisers
a game, not a game parody
<3> boundary-extending
genre
clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014
clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014
optimisation as new/old form of gameplay
clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014
a game, not a game parody
genre category gets implemented/institutionalised
industry appreciation talk
industry appreciation talk
industry design talk
industry analysis talk
summary
1. Idle games began as ironic boundary-drawing parodies that defended a challenge aesthetic against mmorpgs, achievement systems, facebook games, and gamification (2002-10).
2. They morphed into boundary-blurring experiments that curiously explored the appeal of incremental mechanics (2013).
3. They solidified into a boundary-extending genre with game makers talking normally about their business opportunities, audiences, and design, and used an institutionalised genre label (2014+).
