Video Games as ‘Kid’s’ Toys - Wordplay and the Discourse of Video Games - page 51

discussed across the political spectrum, likely altering the context for the
design and play of video games.
Interesting side ef ects of this kind of shift can already be seen in public
discourse, as games are increasingly seen as being integrated into daily life 62
and into our education system. 63 Additional gaming platforms, specifi cally
smartphones, feature games like Angry Birds that “are reaching a wide
audience of players who might never consider buying an Xbox or PlaySta-
tion,” 64 promise to alter not only who is playing, but on what devices video
games are being played. Further changes are occurring politically, one of
which is Australia's new government backed initiative to include an 18+
rating into their game rating system. 65 Previously topping out at a 15+ rat-
ing, Australia was in a situation where some games were not sold in the
country and others that were rated 18+ in other countries carried a 15+
rating in Australia. The push for recognition of older audiences is an overt
acknowledgement that video games are not just for children. The Minister
for Home Af airs and Justice argued that “a decision for change will mean
that Australian adults can have easier access to the games they want and
parents will be equipped to make sensible decisions about the games their
kids play.” 66 This added distinction marked a cultural shift, one that is
likely to continue, where the invoked audience of games changes and the
discourse of games is adjusted to suit the multiple potential target markets
of players.
Audience is a key concern for rhetoricians, as it is a primary means by
which to assess questions of meaning and persuasion. As messages are
always targeted at some sort of group, understanding the audience is cru-
cial for rhetorical analysis. Audience plays a similar role for wordplay, as
the target market for games shapes what kinds of games are made and
how they are perceived. Wordplay helps assess audience beyond that lim-
ited role, as concerns about youth gaming demonstrate that video games
hold a cultural position that transcends the insular boundaries of just those
who make and play games. Promotion to a space where cultural critics pay
attention to video games changes what they are and how they connect to
culture at large. Wordplay aids analysis of both the internal and external
audiences of games with the understanding that video games are made for
people, but that audiences beyond those who play games also construct the
words surrounding video games.
Using wordplay to study those who play games helps demonstrate the
external forces that help shape the context for video games. Although game
design alters how games are played, lingering public perceptions about
video games are infl uential, regardless of their relative accuracy. Beyond
public discourse and socialization in games, context is also shaped by
technological changes, as contemporary modes of communication of er an
opportunity for game design to become a circular process when gamers and
designers interact.