2020
Stenros, Jaakko; Sihvonen, Tanja
Like Seeing Yourself in the Mirror? Solitary Role-Play as Performance and Pretend Play Journal Article
In: Game Studies, vol. 20, iss. 4, 2020, ISBN: 1604-7982.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Performance, Pretend play, Queer play, Role-play, Role-playing games, Single-player
@article{Stenros2020,
title = {Like Seeing Yourself in the Mirror? Solitary Role-Play as Performance and Pretend Play},
author = {Jaakko Stenros and Tanja Sihvonen},
url = {http://gamestudies.org/2004/articles/stenros_sihvonen},
isbn = {1604-7982},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-01},
journal = {Game Studies},
volume = {20},
issue = {4},
abstract = {This article aims at theory-building of the somewhat understudied functions -- performative and pretend -- of solitary play in digital role-playing games. It analyzes the single-player digital role-playing game (SPDRPG) from the perspective of play, or more precisely, of solitary play as an activity. SPDRPG is considered a specific genre of games, and these games are approached as toys that are “pretend-played” with expectations. In these games, the player is able to build and manage a player character (or several), explore the interaction possibilities between characters, and adopt a role-playing attitude. Our article is thus focused on analyzing the activities of a player through three angles: character creation, character interaction, and game mechanics.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.},
keywords = {Digital games, Performance, Pretend play, Queer play, Role-play, Role-playing games, Single-player},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article aims at theory-building of the somewhat understudied functions -- performative and pretend -- of solitary play in digital role-playing games. It analyzes the single-player digital role-playing game (SPDRPG) from the perspective of play, or more precisely, of solitary play as an activity. SPDRPG is considered a specific genre of games, and these games are approached as toys that are “pretend-played” with expectations. In these games, the player is able to build and manage a player character (or several), explore the interaction possibilities between characters, and adopt a role-playing attitude. Our article is thus focused on analyzing the activities of a player through three angles: character creation, character interaction, and game mechanics.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.
2019
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti; Saarenmaa, Laura; Brown, Ashley M. L. (Ed.)
Special Issue: Sexuality and Play Collection
2019, ISSN: 1795-6161.
Links | Tags: Queer play, Sexual play, Sexuality
@collection{Karhulahti2019,
title = {Special Issue: Sexuality and Play},
editor = {Veli-Matti Karhulahti and Laura Saarenmaa and Ashley M. L. Brown},
url = {http://widerscreen.fi/numerot/2019-1-2},
issn = {1795-6161},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-08},
urldate = {2019-11-08},
booktitle = {WiderScreen},
volume = {22},
number = {1–2},
keywords = {Queer play, Sexual play, Sexuality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {collection}
}
2018
Sihvonen, Tanja; Stenros, Jaakko
Cues for Queer Play: Carving a Possibility Space for LGBTQ Role-Play Book Section
In: Harper, Todd; Adams, Meghan Blythe; Taylor, Nicholas (Ed.): Queerness in Play, pp. 167–184, 2018, ISBN: 9783319905419.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Larpent, Queer existence, Queer play, Role-playing games, Tabletop RPGs
@incollection{Sihvonen2018,
title = {Cues for Queer Play: Carving a Possibility Space for LGBTQ Role-Play},
author = {Tanja Sihvonen and Jaakko Stenros},
editor = {Todd Harper and Meghan Blythe Adams and Nicholas Taylor},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-90542-6_10},
isbn = {9783319905419},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Queerness in Play},
pages = {167–184},
abstract = {Representations of LGBTQ (or queer) themes and characters have been scarce throughout the history of role-playing games. However, there is a gap between source material of a game and the actual play of it. Our chapter explores this gap with two objectives: first, the authors review what kind of queer existence is possible in tabletop, online multiplayer, and live-action role-playing. Second, this chapter addresses how players negotiate with these “urtexts” in carving out queer potentials. Drawing from numerous examples, the authors conclude that the emergence of queer play necessitates the affordances of the urtext of the game, each player’s unique approach to play, and the core player group or online community in which the play is situated.},
keywords = {Larpent, Queer existence, Queer play, Role-playing games, Tabletop RPGs},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Representations of LGBTQ (or queer) themes and characters have been scarce throughout the history of role-playing games. However, there is a gap between source material of a game and the actual play of it. Our chapter explores this gap with two objectives: first, the authors review what kind of queer existence is possible in tabletop, online multiplayer, and live-action role-playing. Second, this chapter addresses how players negotiate with these “urtexts” in carving out queer potentials. Drawing from numerous examples, the authors conclude that the emergence of queer play necessitates the affordances of the urtext of the game, each player’s unique approach to play, and the core player group or online community in which the play is situated.