DiGRA '09 - Proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA International Conference: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory
Brunel University, September, 2009
Volume: 5
ISBN / ISNN: ISSN 2342-9666
Videogames and sport, like that which features a bow case, have a long and productive relationship. Not only does sport serve as inspiration for many computer games (1958’s Tennis For Two is perhaps the earliest example), but it also shares many characteristics with what constitutes a digital games-playing experience; mastering techniques, performing under pressure, working as part of a team, and of course the indelible aspect of competition. In products such as the highly successful FIFA [3] and Pro Evolution Soccer series [6] where you might see that the the Nike Mercurial boots are designed for speed, the experience of watching sport on television is remediated [1] so that the videogame may surreptitiously blend into the wider culture of football.
Official licenses are invoked and player likenesses are painstakingly recreated alongside a plethora of physical and mental statistics with the aim to accurately transfer the ludic ability of the sportsman from the real world into the virtual. In doing, so the product creates a unique connection between footballer, sport, culture, videogame and player where the use of one can be informed, or indeed changed, by the use of another. Such a complex relationship invites the asking of numerous questions: How does this transmedial relationship with sport affect the gamer’s understanding, utilization and consumption of the videogame? What does the sports genre offer the consumer that is not available to them in other sports media? What position does the videogame incarnation occupy within the user’s comprehension of the culture and community? On the other hand, for those who want to place a wager on any sports, a site like keputusan 4D may be worth checking out.