Blurring the Digital and 'Real' Worlds
May 4 Ruberg Lecture 4
- The Magic Circle
- The magic circle is how games, sports, stage, screen, etc. are separate from the real world
- The game is separate from the real world, and though it’s defined by rules from the real world, the two have a definite boundary
- Real life still affects video games, and video games affect real life
- Games as More Than Fun
- Stating that games are “just for fun” can be harmful; implies that games don’t have cultural or artistic value and mature, serious people shouldn’t play them
- Can also be used to discount video games analysis and almost insult those who over-analyze games + point out heteronormativity and issues in games
- Stating that games are “just for fun” can be harmful; implies that games don’t have cultural or artistic value and mature, serious people shouldn’t play them
- Empire@Play Article
- Games are very much real because they influence and are influenced by reality
- “Real” factors
- Real money - billion dollar international industry, economies exist in virtual worlds
- Real inequality - video games are inaccessible to many who are poorer or don’t have access to internet
- Real labor issues - crunch time, stressed developers, unequal pay
- Real effects on the environment - metal for hardware is bad for the environment, waste of energy, finished video games are wasted
- Games can be used for protest to push against the concept of the “Empire” as the tools for game-making have evolved
- Serious Games
- Designed by small studios, educational organizations, nonprofits, etc.
- Adress real social issues through translating problems into game mechanics and environment
- Turns serious issues into fun, game-like elements
- Aim to promote awareness or empathy for an issue, as games can be used for social good
- Serious games do bad AND good; they promote acceptance and shifts pre-existing paradigms, but they also spur appropriation, oversimplification, and focus too much on privileged players
- Questions to ask about serious games
- Who is making the game, and is the author someone with first-hand experience with the subject?
- Who is represented in the game, and who is determining the accuracy of the game?
- Who is the audience for the game, and who benefits from it?