Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
work, driving beliefs about what 'real' games are and what 'proper' play is.
For my Mom and in
Sally's Spa
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, play is a driving force in how video
games are constructed as cultural objects. In cases like these, wordplay
must reach beyond the words and design to look at how play works and
who is doing the playing.
WORDPLAY
Looking at the words, design, and play of video games facilitates under-
standing of what makes them unique and how they work. Words in and
around games help construct what games are as cultural objects, defi ning
and redefi ning their relationship to society at large and setting the terms
for how games work and to what ends they are designed. Design of games
demonstrates the choices made and the pieces that are omitted, both of
which are crucial parts of understanding how games are iconic and how
they persuade, create identifi cations, and circulate meanings. The design of
society also exerts force on games, setting the terms for which games get
made and which do not. Finally, one of the singular elements of games, the
play, addresses questions like how we play, who plays, and what we play.
Questions of play are central to what make video games special and word-
play helps focus on the elements of play that are particularly notable.
Wordplay drives critics to ask dii cult questions about how games work
and what makes them special. Better understanding the games we play is
crucial to understanding how they function as increasingly powerful cul-
tural objects. Wordplay illustrates the biases of games and game develop-
ers, pushing us to understand the messages contained within all games and
why they matter. By pressing to understand how we shape video games
and how they shape us we stand to better comprehend the discourse of an
increasingly powerful form of media.
