Socializing Gamers - Wordplay and the Discourse of Video Games - page 24

revel in mere rumors about the game or a subsequent sequel. 10 The buzz
about the game socializes those fans to anticipate, want, and consume.
Game publications need content to attract readers, which means that the
information surrounding a high-profi le game is widely reported and, poten-
tially, widely read, forming paratexts that set the terms on which gamers
will engage the title. In the case of Uncharted 2 , the promotion of the game
reached beyond the limited audience of gaming publications with Sony's
television commercial that ran prominently after the game's launch. Depict-
ing the game as an action-adventure movie that 'your girlfriend' would be
happy to watch night after night moved awareness about Uncharted 2 from
a core gaming audience who reads previews and reviews to a larger televi-
sion audience interested in action movies. The ad targets men by present-
ing the aspirational opportunities of ered by Uncharted 2 . The ad implies
that games like this are played by those who live in plush apartments and
have popcorn-making girlfriends who look forward to seeing more of the
'movie.' By recontextualizing the game, the potential audience becomes
broader, leading to three million copies of Uncharted 2 selling in a matter
of months, 11 while raising anticipation for the game as a whole. All of these
promotional elements frame what players expect and shape the image of
who is 'supposed' to be playing the game by setting the terms for the dis-
course about how to perceive Uncharted 2 .
In addition to the paratexts encouraging consumption of the game, a sec-
ond group of paratexts surrounds the game and shape how players engage
in play. This piece, the walkthroughs readily found online, form a particular
way of playing Uncharted 2 , one that some might call cheating, while others
fi nd it essential to their mode of play. 12 Walkthroughs for Uncharted 2 come
with two primary aims: guides for navigating the story in the game 13 and
guides to acquiring the more than one hundred treasures spread throughout
the game. 14 The walkthroughs of er direction about what to do in the game,
either in words, pictures, video, or some combination of the three. In so
doing, they prof er a preferred, scripted means by which to circumnavigate
the challenges faced by players. Guides construct an idealized means by
which to play the game, socializing players into a dif erent form of gaming,
one based on following instructions, rather than exploring the context of
the game world. There is a wealth of similar examples spread throughout
the internet, which of ers easy access instructions for the players of almost
any game. By transforming how games are played, these paratexts shift
socialization, creating a connection between text and paratext while craft-
ing a potential dependence upon these guides in the minds of gamers. Put
simply, for many gamers, game play is dependent on the paratextual guides
and walkthroughs available online. These elements push words into ques-
tions of play and design, as guides become a key component of how many
people are now socialized into gaming as a whole.
The fi nal piece of socialization in Uncharted 2 is the means by which
the game trains players within the game's design itself. Although players