culture robin burke gam 224. outline admin culture cultural rhetoric
TRANSCRIPT
Culture
undefineable term Geertz
"Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun...I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretative one in search of meaning"
Culture
for our purposeseverything outside the magic circlewhat comes
• before the game• after the game • surrounds the game
the context of the game
Many Relevant Contexts
popular culture the images in games the ties between games and movies, manga, etc.
business the ways in which games are made and marketed the ancillary businesses around games (magazines, retailers, etc.)
fan-dom the ways that devotees invest energy and creativity into particular
games the communities that rise up around games
technology the technical requirements of games and their effect on the
evolution of computer systems gender
the way that male and female bodies and identities are rendered in games
Culture-before I
Designer borrows from the wider culture signifiers
• the red cross themes
• the hero tale images
• the witch sounds
• fanfare This background is (ideally) shared with the player
players from other cultures may need to learn some things
Culture-before II
Designer borrows from specific movies, books and/or gameslicenses / sequels
• Knights of the Old Republic II
adaptation• Sly Cooper = Splinter Cell for kids
Player's expectations are shaped by references to other cultural artifacts
Culture-after I
Designers may license game characters to other media movies
• Lara Croft Designers may let users build onto their
games new levels
• UnrealEd and tools new content
• Sims tools
Culture-after II
Players may organize communities around gamestrading tips, hacks, cheat codes, FAQ
filestrading mods, player-created contentgroup playorganized competitions
Culture-surrounding I
Players interpret the gameusing their individual knowledge and
cultural background Players play the game
using techniques and expectations derived from other games
using expectations derived from real-world experiences
Culture-surrounding II
Players may play in a variety of environmentsarcade or Internet cafesolitarygroup settingpublic competitive setting
Game Culture
Any of these aspects are fair game for a cultural understanding of games
Designers can choose to ignore culture but that doesn't mean they are free of it it just means they will be ignorant about it
Observers can use culture as an avenue to interpret a
game's meaning, its "web of significance" can use the game as an avenue to interpret
the culture that gives rise to it• but the "web of significance" is always tied to the
larger culture in some way
Examples
Culture Game Meaning Marxism Katamari Damacy capitalist consumption gone mad
Game Culture Meaning Missile Command Cold war America Concrete manifestation of the inevitability of
nuclear destruction
Cultural Rhetoric
rhetoricThe art or study of using language
effectively and persuasively. We mean
the way that a game contains an implicit argument for a set of cultural presuppositions
How is a game an argument? Rules
the rules reward certain actions and not others• implicitly valuing one choice over another• Example: KOTOR, Fable
the rules require the player to prevail in certain types of conflict
• implying what types of conflict are important and how they can be resolved
• Example: Civilization III Play
the play of the game demands certain activities be performed
• implicitly valuing one type of activity• Example: Kung-Fu chess
the game makes certain activities and events pleasurable• implying that certain things are or should be enjoyable• Example: Katamari Damacy
Transmission / Reception
The presence of a particular cultural rhetoricmay indicate an explicit design choice
by the designer• but not always
The impact of a game on its playerscan indicate acceptance of its rhetoric
by those players• but not always
Example I
Asteroids "Space: The Final Frontier" To be a hero is
• to be alone against hostile and unfeeling nature, • to use speed and intelligence to battle mounting and
eventually insurmountable odds. Why
detailed examination of the game• the avatar• the space of play• the nature of the conflicts• the core mechanic• the dramatic structure
Example II
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance"Braveheart"to be a hero is
• to lead comrades to victory in a worthy cause,
• to manage the developments one's own unique abilities and those of others, and
• to deploy those abilities effectively when needed
Rhetorics of play
Standard conceptualizations of play may or may not be invoked by a given game
Sutton-Smith Progress Fate Power Identity Imaginary the Self Frivolity
Play as Progress
Stance Play is how we (especially children) learn
Enabled by core mechanic emphasizing desirable skills moralistic narrative
Games Chutes and Ladders Zoombini's Logical Adventure
Play as Fate
Stance To play is submit to chance, to depend on
luck Enabled by
rules dependent on uncertainty little or no skill or knowledge necessary
Games roulette "Sorry!"
Play as Power
Stance To play is to display prowess and defeat
lesser players Enabled by
play involving skill or strategic reasoning or both
Games sports Counter-Strike
Play as Identity
Stance To play is to cement group bonds and
ground identity Enabled by
emphasis on social play rules reward collaborative effort
• non-zero sum Games
team sports most MMORPGs
Play as the Imaginary
Stance To play is to demonstrate creative and
imaginative responses Enabled by
complex and emergent rule systems open game systems
Games "Cranium" games Sims
Play as Rhetoric of the Self
Stance To play is to engage in solitary appreciation
and development Enabled by
single-player gaming "deep" game content
Games solitaire classic adventure games
Play as Frivolity
StanceTo play is to goof off
Enabled byuse of humor and parodydeliberate subversion of other
rhetorics Games
WarioWare
Multiple rhetorics at work
Sims 2 Power
• the player demonstrates power over the Sims world by having successful Sims, amassing wealth and status
Imaginary• the player has nearly limitless opportunities to
customize their Sims house and environment Identity
• the player can interact with other players and share their customized artifacts
Conflicting Rhetorics
Video games are subject to conflicting cultural rhetorics
Play as Progress is very dominant The premise
• "games are for kids"• although most consumers are adults
Visible in controversies over mature themes in games• "games educate kids"• "Grand Theft Auto teaches what?"
Play as Identity is problematic because the site of identity is invisible to outsiders Visible in discussions of game "addiction"
• especially for MMORPGs
Gender
There is a "web of significance" associated with gender identitynormative expectationsthe valuation of qualitiessigns and their interpretation
A virtual character cannot escape this web"Alex"