Balance and Meritocracies - Wordplay and the Discourse of Video Games - page 141

9 Balance and Meritocracies

One of the key themes of this topic is that the words we choose to use mat-
ter. In regular life, selecting to use 'like' rather than 'love' may have a sub-
stantial impact on how that life plays out. Although microlevel examples are
relatively straightforward, examining situations with higher stakes provide
an opportunity to ascertain more information about how larger social struc-
tures work and what their value systems are. Take, for example, political
speech. In giving a political speech, a leader often taps into larger social
forces by using specifi c words that trigger certain emotions or shape belief
toward policy. In the wake of the Watergate investigation, Richard Nixon
opted to pit beliefs about 'confi dentiality' against the 'rule of law. ' 1 By appeal-
ing to two prominent values in U.S. culture, Nixon sought to excuse his
actions, asserting that the confi dentiality required by a president required
him to keep certain information secret. In repeatedly appealing to confi denti-
ality, Nixon demonstrated what he thought was most important in the wake
of the scandal. Although confi dentiality may not be a prominent appeal in
video games, the notion of balance is, and using wordplay to investigate how
balance is employed in game design and play is instructive in understanding
several of the values present in the discourse of video games.
The importance of balance is particularly noteworthy when the focus of
video games shifts from individual play against the computer into larger,
more competitive environments. When playing against the computer, if the
player always wins, the computer is not likely to quit the game in a fi t. 2
Many players, however, do not like losing repeatedly—particularly if they
feel that the terrain for play does not treat them fairly. Computers help
shape the circumstances of video game play and our interactions with other
players in games emphasize the importance of balance. Applying wordplay
to balance of ers a chance to assess how game design and structures within
games impact actual game play and discussion about games. Analyzing
how the word and concept of balance cuts across categories like design and
play of online games enables a critical look at the values present in the dis-
course of video games and the power structures enabled by video games.
Understanding the importance of balance in online games requires a
brief discussion of Michael Calvin McGee's articulation of ideographs,
as it provides the background for the importance of particular words and
ideas in communication. With an understanding of ideographs in hand, it is