Exporting Wars: Literature Theory and How It Explains the Video Game Industry


Dymek Mikolaj
2007 DiGRA '07 - Proceedings of the 2007 DiGRA International Conference: Situated Play

The video game industry is the combination of two worlds: technology (IT) and show-biz/media/cultural industries. This paper explores this tension by exposing the shortcomings of the culture economics perspective and its lack of understanding for the unique characteristics of the video game medium, thus subsequently proposing a deeper analysis of the medium by turning to literary theoretical perspectives on games, such as ludology and narratology. Due the lack of technological dimensions in its theoretical framework, narratology is deemed less fruitful as an analytical tool and ludology is preferred. Ludology, with Espen Aarseth’s cybertext theory elucidates aspects of “interactivity”, author-medium-reader power relations and the mechanical organization of textual machines, which provides perspectives on practice in the video game industry.

 

Simulating the Storytelling Qualities of Life: Telling Stories with the Sims


Heliö Satu
2005 DiGRA '05 - Proceedings of the 2005 DiGRA International Conference: Changing Views: Worlds in Play

The stories vs. games debate has been prominent during the early years of game studies, and few other perspectives have been introduced to the discussion. In the paper, Game Researcher and Concept Designer Satu Heliö from Sulake Corporation introduces new concepts with which to approach the supposed divide. She argues that concepts such as narrative mindset and social schema provide better means to understand game features and player motivations regarding such game genres as role-playing games and popular game series such as The Sims.