Introduction - Wordplay and the Discourse of Video Games - page 3

were not playing games together. For the two of us, games function as a
cultural object, something that is talk-about-able, and prompts us to dis-
cuss things beyond video games.
Wordplay is based on analyzing the ways in which games are made to
mean, create identifi cations and circulate meanings, but this process is not
limited to the games themselves. Wordplay can be applied to things like
promotional patches and the impact of a single television on the availability
to play Final Fantasy . The games are crucially important though, as the
design of Final Fantasy was a key factor in my desire to wake up far earlier
than was otherwise rational. The texts and structures surrounding games
also have a crucial impact on how the discourse of gaming is constituted,
which is alluded to in my relationship with my father. In our case, games
are merely a starting point that provides a channel for other kinds of dis-
cussion and bonding. Wordplay articulates how games are composed of
many factors, which can roughly be organized into categories of words,
design, and play.
Wordplay is about how games and their surrounding texts participate
in a process by which meanings are created, identifi cations are built, ideas
are circulated, and persuasion is attempted. Wordplay uses the tools of rhe-
torical analysis to better understand the discourse of games and the impact
they have on the structure of the game industry. A better understanding
of what is at stake in the sociocultural systems at work in video games
of ers benefi ts to scholars, developers, and players. Wordplay facilitates bet-
ter mapping of the discourse of games and how words, design, and play
help explain the ways in which games are designed, played, and viewed
culturally. This chapter focuses on developing the background in rhetorical
analysis and game studies necessary to show how the concept of wordplay
aids analysis and understanding of video games.
RHETORIC
Rhetoric is a complicated, oft misunderstood subject that, when put in
the title of a course, is almost guaranteed to scare students away. For the
purposes of this topic, a brief historical overview sets the table to focus
on contemporary rhetorical theory and how it is foundational in develop-
ing the concept of wordplay. Rhetoric is an ancient term, dating back to
Plato's Gorgias , when it was roughly connected to the art of persuasion.
The study of rhetoric was particularly important in ancient Greece, owing
to the role of public speech in the governance of society. Rhetoric was a
contested term, with Plato positioning himself against the sophists , paid
teachers of speech, and the fi eld of rhetoric developed standards and expec-
tations for oratory. Aristotle added several categories to rhetoric, sorting
oratory by approach and desired ends, uniting much of the work of Plato
and the sophists. 1 However, in contemporary times, rhetoric has taken on a