2025
Harviainen, J. Tuomas; Masek, Leland; Stenros, Jaakko
The Future’s Language in the Age of Ubiquitous Play Book Chapter
In: Kriz, Willy Christian; Kikkawa, Toshiko; de Wijse-Van Heeswijk, Marieke; Lukosch, Heide (Ed.): Legacy and Future Impact of Gaming Simulation Pioneers : Essays in Memory of Richard de la Barre Duke and Cathy Stein Greenblat, vol. 44, Springer, 2025, ISBN: 978-981-96-4324-0.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Player community, Playful behavior
@inbook{nokey,
title = {The Future’s Language in the Age of Ubiquitous Play},
author = {J. Tuomas Harviainen and Leland Masek and Jaakko Stenros},
editor = { Willy Christian Kriz and Toshiko Kikkawa and Marieke de Wijse-Van Heeswijk and Heide Lukosch},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4325-7_14},
doi = {10.1007/978-981-96-4325-7_14},
isbn = {978-981-96-4324-0},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-04-11},
booktitle = { Legacy and Future Impact of Gaming Simulation Pioneers : Essays in Memory of Richard de la Barre Duke and Cathy Stein Greenblat},
journal = {Translational Systems Sciences},
volume = {44},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {This chapter examines games, play, and playfulness in various contexts. Its central focus is on how gameplay has become accepted and common to the point of being ubiquitous, and play and playfulness in general are now ambient and all around us. At the same time, play is taking place in silos, where oftentimes there is little to no real contact with other players. This is reflected against Richard D. Duke’s 1974 idea of games as a future’s language which is able to create gestalt communication through its systemic nature. The chapter examines reasons for this and finds that while the potential exists even now, games and other playful activities are still likely to guide us to learn them as individual systems, not as communication tools. At the same time, people have learned to play also many systems other than games.},
keywords = {Player community, Playful behavior},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
This chapter examines games, play, and playfulness in various contexts. Its central focus is on how gameplay has become accepted and common to the point of being ubiquitous, and play and playfulness in general are now ambient and all around us. At the same time, play is taking place in silos, where oftentimes there is little to no real contact with other players. This is reflected against Richard D. Duke’s 1974 idea of games as a future’s language which is able to create gestalt communication through its systemic nature. The chapter examines reasons for this and finds that while the potential exists even now, games and other playful activities are still likely to guide us to learn them as individual systems, not as communication tools. At the same time, people have learned to play also many systems other than games.
2024
Masek, Leland; Stenros, Jaakko
Parties as Playful Experiences: Why Game Studies Should Study Partying Journal Article
In: ELUDAMOS, vol. 15, iss. 1, 2024, ISSN: 1866-6124.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Game studies, Party Culture, Playful behavior, Playfulness
@article{nokey,
title = {Parties as Playful Experiences: Why Game Studies Should Study Partying},
author = {Leland Masek and Jaakko Stenros},
url = {https://doi.org/10.7557/23.7562},
doi = {10.7557/23.7562},
issn = {1866-6124},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-12-31},
journal = {ELUDAMOS},
volume = {15},
issue = {1},
abstract = {Partying is a widespread, understudied, and playful phenomena. Game Studies has seen great value from defining important concepts related to games since its inception. Foundational play and game scholars urged for a need to analyze parties and celebrations as a form of playfulness, yet there is little empirical Game Studies work enabling a deeper understanding of partying. Partying bears striking resemblances to games: inefficient use of resources, arbitrary rules, cultural group formation, and ongoing moral panics. There are also practical overlaps: games occur at parties and digital party games are quite popular. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of parties by analyzing 33 semi-structured interviews where individuals from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds had highly playful experiences at parties. A new theoretical conception of partying as a form of playfulness is proposed as a “phenomenon that creates an experience of social connection in a group mediated through a shared engagement-prioritizing activity”. This work concludes with a call for party studies to become a sub-field in game studies.},
keywords = {Game studies, Party Culture, Playful behavior, Playfulness},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Partying is a widespread, understudied, and playful phenomena. Game Studies has seen great value from defining important concepts related to games since its inception. Foundational play and game scholars urged for a need to analyze parties and celebrations as a form of playfulness, yet there is little empirical Game Studies work enabling a deeper understanding of partying. Partying bears striking resemblances to games: inefficient use of resources, arbitrary rules, cultural group formation, and ongoing moral panics. There are also practical overlaps: games occur at parties and digital party games are quite popular. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of parties by analyzing 33 semi-structured interviews where individuals from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds had highly playful experiences at parties. A new theoretical conception of partying as a form of playfulness is proposed as a “phenomenon that creates an experience of social connection in a group mediated through a shared engagement-prioritizing activity”. This work concludes with a call for party studies to become a sub-field in game studies.
2023
Alha, Kati
Pokémon Go (2016): A Location Based Game Breaks Through Book Section
In: Perron, Bernard; Boudreau, Kelly; Wolf, Mark J. P.; Arsenault, Dominic (Ed.): Fifty Key Video Games, pp. 196-202, Routledge, 2023, ISBN: 978-1-003-19920-5, (Embargoed document. Embargo ends 27/07/24.).
Abstract | Links | Tags: Location-based game, Play, Playful behavior, Pokémon Go, Video games
@incollection{Alha2023,
title = {Pokémon Go (2016): A Location Based Game Breaks Through},
author = {Kati Alha},
editor = {Bernard Perron and Kelly Boudreau and Mark J.P. Wolf and Dominic Arsenault},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003199205/fifty-key-video-games-dominic-arsenault-kelly-boudreau-bernard-perron-mark-wolf
https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/pok%C3%A9mon-go-2016-a-location-based-game-breaks-through},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003199205},
isbn = {978-1-003-19920-5},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-31},
urldate = {2023-01-31},
booktitle = {Fifty Key Video Games},
pages = {196-202},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {During the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go was everywhere. It was difficult to go outside without noticing players hunting and catching Pokémon creatures in real-world locations; location-based gaming had become a mainstream activity. Through novel gameplay and unprecedented success, Pokémon Go became one of the biggest and most impactful games of the time. While the game collected praise of its positive impacts on exercising and outdoor activity, the success also caused disruptive behavior, such as players taking over locations from their previous use, trespassing on private properties, or causing danger in traffic. Many of the game’s biggest impacts are of a social nature: it enabled random encounters between strangers, created opportunities to both build new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and increased the feeling of community and belonging. Not all audiences have been included in the same manner, though: the game is not equally accessible or safe to play in all locations or by all groups of people. Despite its shortcomings, Pokémon Go managed to bring gaming to new audiences and increased the acceptability of play and playful behavior in our society – for all ages.},
note = {Embargoed document. Embargo ends 27/07/24.},
keywords = {Location-based game, Play, Playful behavior, Pokémon Go, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
During the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go was everywhere. It was difficult to go outside without noticing players hunting and catching Pokémon creatures in real-world locations; location-based gaming had become a mainstream activity. Through novel gameplay and unprecedented success, Pokémon Go became one of the biggest and most impactful games of the time. While the game collected praise of its positive impacts on exercising and outdoor activity, the success also caused disruptive behavior, such as players taking over locations from their previous use, trespassing on private properties, or causing danger in traffic. Many of the game’s biggest impacts are of a social nature: it enabled random encounters between strangers, created opportunities to both build new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and increased the feeling of community and belonging. Not all audiences have been included in the same manner, though: the game is not equally accessible or safe to play in all locations or by all groups of people. Despite its shortcomings, Pokémon Go managed to bring gaming to new audiences and increased the acceptability of play and playful behavior in our society – for all ages.