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6. Nov. 2002, IST Event

The Current State of the Game Studies

“To draw a parallel with the history of art, videogames are, at the very least, still waiting for photography to be invented, perhaps even for the Renaissance to happen.”

EDGE (DEC. 1999)

Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Ph.d student IT-University Copenhagen, Denmark

email: sen@it-c.dk www.game-research.com

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6. Nov. 2002, IST Event

Historical roots:1980’s – The start

Research into beneficial and especially harmful effects. Triggered by the growing popularity of computer games.

The majority of research resources go into answering questions like:

Do computer games increase aggression, violence, asocial behaviour etc?

Do computer games support stereotyped gender perception?

1990’s – The seed is sown

Research broadens with academics flocking from all disciplines, the numbers increasing up through the 1990’s with conferences, magazines, courses and web-sites popping up.

The focus of the research is broadening with every given subject with the slightest connection to computer games applying their own theories to the field.

2000 – The field is growing

A beginning qualification and specialization of the field through university courses, basic framework and establishment of peer-reviewed magazines.

The focus of research is still controlled by researchers early academic training but times are changing.

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6. Nov. 2002, IST Event

Ludology vs. Narratology:A good example of the historical development of the research into computer games. Have fought fierce battles – each heavily induced by their background academic training

Ludology – games are all about play.

Narratology – games are all about narratives.

The narratologist claiming the Myst was the game of all times while ludologist pointed to the massive success of Tetris.

In the end the positions only demonstrated that computer games are a highly fragmented research area with a a lot of very different genres. Each have to been studied as a computer game!

Myst Tetris

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6. Nov. 2002, IST Event

Current areas :Areas are beginning to crystallize - important point is that the distinctions are made on the basis of game research, and not fitted into existing research areas.

The Effects of Games (psychology, education, social, ethnography,...)

Game aesthetics (narrative, interactivity, visual aspects, art, , design, language, themes/genres...)

Cultural issues of Games(gender, identity, violence, ideology, communities, nationality, regulations...)

Gameplay(definitions of games, structure, time, multiplayer, platforms, case studies...)

Construction(programming, AI, project management, audio...)

Business perspective

(revenue streams, distribution, marketing, user groups, penetration…)

Source: Inspired by Susana Tosca (2002)

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6. Nov. 2002, IST Event

The road ahead:

Game studies have gone from a questionable and small research area to a modern research theme - researchers flocking around this "new" exciting area.

Next step will be to to identify sub-areas, focus the research efforts and make sure that computer games are the starting point, rather than a way to legitimize your own research area.

The foundation for a separate and unique research area is being laid down now with the new Digital International Game Research Association (Digra) and the peer-reviewed magazine Game-studies.

“If Citizen Kane took place in the twenty-first century, Orson Wells would be sighing, ‘Mario’! instead of ‘Rosebud’.”

J. C. HERZ