2022
Kankainen, Ville; Käihkö, Ilmari
On Wargames and War: Modelling Carl von Clausewitz’s Theory of War Book Section
In: Sjöblom, Björn; Linderoth, Jonas; Frank, Anders (Ed.): Representing Conflicts in Games: Antagonism, Rivalry, and Competition, Routledge, 2022, ISBN: 9781032278278.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Clausewitz, Game studies, Games, War studies, Wargames
@incollection{Kankainen2022,
title = {On Wargames and War: Modelling Carl von Clausewitz’s Theory of War},
author = {Ville Kankainen and Ilmari Käihkö},
editor = {Björn Sjöblom and Jonas Linderoth and Anders Frank},
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/on-wargames-and-war-modelling-carl-von-clausewitzs-theory-of-war},
doi = {10.4324/9781003297406-8},
isbn = {9781032278278},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-30},
urldate = {2022-12-30},
booktitle = {Representing Conflicts in Games: Antagonism, Rivalry, and Competition},
publisher = {Routledge},
chapter = {5},
abstract = {The stated purpose of Carl von Clausewitz’s magnum opus On War, in which he presented the most comprehensive theory of war to date, was educational. Clausewitz saw that proper education departed from theory and concepts, which students were encouraged to reflect over and clarify. Although their common use in pedagogy, wargames often continue to struggle with incorporation of the seven factors always present at war in Clausewitz’ theory – violence, friction, chance, politics, trinity, victory and ethics. As a result, many games offer a rather conventional understanding of war that does not match reality. This chapter investigates how Clausewitz’s theory of war has been modelled in two popular ‘commercial-off-the-shelf’ tabletop wargames: Twilight Struggle and Paths of Glory. Based on an analysis of how the seven concepts of war have been modelled in these games, the chapter discusses how Clausewitz’s theory of war can be used to improve the pedagogy of war.},
keywords = {Clausewitz, Game studies, Games, War studies, Wargames},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
The stated purpose of Carl von Clausewitz’s magnum opus On War, in which he presented the most comprehensive theory of war to date, was educational. Clausewitz saw that proper education departed from theory and concepts, which students were encouraged to reflect over and clarify. Although their common use in pedagogy, wargames often continue to struggle with incorporation of the seven factors always present at war in Clausewitz’ theory – violence, friction, chance, politics, trinity, victory and ethics. As a result, many games offer a rather conventional understanding of war that does not match reality. This chapter investigates how Clausewitz’s theory of war has been modelled in two popular ‘commercial-off-the-shelf’ tabletop wargames: Twilight Struggle and Paths of Glory. Based on an analysis of how the seven concepts of war have been modelled in these games, the chapter discusses how Clausewitz’s theory of war can be used to improve the pedagogy of war.
Meriläinen, Mikko; Heljakka, Katriina; Stenros, Jaakko
Lead Fantasies: The Making, Meaning and Materiality of Miniatures Book Section
In: Germaine, Chloe; Wake, Paul (Ed.): Material Game Studies: A Philosophy of Analogue Play, pp. 83-101, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022, ISBN: 9781350202719.
Links | Tags: Game studies, Gaming, Materiality, Miniature figures, Miniaturing
@incollection{Meriläinen2022g,
title = {Lead Fantasies: The Making, Meaning and Materiality of Miniatures},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen and Katriina Heljakka and Jaakko Stenros},
editor = {Chloe Germaine and Paul Wake},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202301301831
https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/149420/leadfantasies.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/material-game-studies-9781350202719/},
isbn = {9781350202719},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-01},
urldate = {2022-12-01},
booktitle = {Material Game Studies: A Philosophy of Analogue Play},
pages = {83-101},
publisher = {Bloomsbury Academic},
keywords = {Game studies, Gaming, Materiality, Miniature figures, Miniaturing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.)
Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch Book
Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3030827663.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch
@book{Ruotsalainen2022,
title = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti
},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
isbn = {978-3030827663},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This Open Access book provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly developing esport phenomenon by examining one of its contemporary flagship titles, Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016), through three central themes and from a rich variety of research methods and perspectives. As a game with more than 40 million individual players, an annual international World Cup, and a franchised professional league with teams from Canada, China, Europe, South Korea, and the US, Overwatch provides a multifaceted perspective to the cultural, social, and economic topics associated with the development of esports, which has begun to attract attention from both commercial and academic audiences.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.},
keywords = {Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
This Open Access book provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly developing esport phenomenon by examining one of its contemporary flagship titles, Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016), through three central themes and from a rich variety of research methods and perspectives. As a game with more than 40 million individual players, an annual international World Cup, and a franchised professional league with teams from Canada, China, Europe, South Korea, and the US, Overwatch provides a multifaceted perspective to the cultural, social, and economic topics associated with the development of esports, which has begun to attract attention from both commercial and academic audiences.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
Introduction Book Section
In: Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 1-7, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Links | Tags: Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch
@incollection{Ruotsalainen2022b,
title = {Introduction},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti
},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_1},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {1-7},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
keywords = {Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
2021
Koskimaa, Raine
Book Review: How Pac-Man Eats other
2021.
Links | Tags: Book review, Game culture, Game studies, Pac-Man, Video games
@other{Koskimaa2021c,
title = {Book Review: How Pac-Man Eats},
author = {Raine Koskimaa},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202202011364
http://gamestudies.org/2104/articles/koskimaa_review},
issn = {1604-7982},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-12-31},
urldate = {2021-12-31},
booktitle = {Game Studies: the international journal of computer game research},
volume = {21},
number = {4},
publisher = {IT Universitetet i Koebenhavn},
keywords = {Book review, Game culture, Game studies, Pac-Man, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Mochocki, Michał; Koskimaa, Raine
Story Beats in Videogames as Value-Driven Choice-Based Unit Operations Journal Article
In: Images: The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, vol. 29, no. 38, pp. 5-31, 2021, ISSN: 1731-450X.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Beat, Character, Game studies, Narrative, Narratology, Transmedia, Video games
@article{Mochocki2021,
title = {Story Beats in Videogames as Value-Driven Choice-Based Unit Operations},
author = {Michał Mochocki and Raine Koskimaa},
url = {https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/78603
https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/29815/26411},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.14746/i.2021.38.01},
issn = {1731-450X},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-06-15},
urldate = {2021-06-15},
journal = {Images: The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication},
volume = {29},
number = {38},
pages = {5-31},
publisher = {Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan},
abstract = {We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research.},
keywords = {Beat, Character, Game studies, Narrative, Narratology, Transmedia, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research.
Nylund, Niklas; Prax, Patrick; Sotamaa, Olli
Rethinking Game Heritage: Towards Reflexivity in Game Preservation Journal Article
In: International Journal of Heritage Studies: IJHS, vol. 27, iss. 3, pp. 268-280, 2021, ISSN: 1352-7258.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Critical heritage, Game culture, Game preservation, Game studies, Intangible heritage, Participatory heritage
@article{Nylund2021,
title = {Rethinking Game Heritage: Towards Reflexivity in Game Preservation},
author = {Niklas Nylund and Patrick Prax and Olli Sotamaa},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202006045916},
doi = {10.1080/13527258.2020.1752772},
issn = {1352-7258},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-03-04},
journal = {International Journal of Heritage Studies: IJHS},
volume = {27},
issue = {3},
pages = {268-280},
abstract = {While games and the cultures that have sprung up around them are diverse and vastly different from each other, most exhibitions dealing with them are based on a limited understanding of games that relies on symbolic brands on one hand and on the centrality of playable experiences on the other. This bias is potentially replicated by heritage institution collections starting to define how games become cultural heritage. While games research has shown that games are firmly nestled in a participatory grassroots culture, these kinds of perspectives are curiously lacking in exhibitions. By connecting previous work on critical and intangible heritage with game studies literature, this paper emphasises the importance of various productive communities for game heritage. The concepts of intangible and critical heritage suggest that the inclusion of players and communities into the game heritage process could offer a more diverse heritage discourse. But participatory practices in collector run museums tend to produce game heritage which is implicitly working towards the same kind of one-sided understanding of games that has been criticised heavily in game studies. The critical expertise of museum professionals is needed in order to start incorporating the varicoloured practices of communities into our understanding of game heritage.},
keywords = {Critical heritage, Game culture, Game preservation, Game studies, Intangible heritage, Participatory heritage},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
While games and the cultures that have sprung up around them are diverse and vastly different from each other, most exhibitions dealing with them are based on a limited understanding of games that relies on symbolic brands on one hand and on the centrality of playable experiences on the other. This bias is potentially replicated by heritage institution collections starting to define how games become cultural heritage. While games research has shown that games are firmly nestled in a participatory grassroots culture, these kinds of perspectives are curiously lacking in exhibitions. By connecting previous work on critical and intangible heritage with game studies literature, this paper emphasises the importance of various productive communities for game heritage. The concepts of intangible and critical heritage suggest that the inclusion of players and communities into the game heritage process could offer a more diverse heritage discourse. But participatory practices in collector run museums tend to produce game heritage which is implicitly working towards the same kind of one-sided understanding of games that has been criticised heavily in game studies. The critical expertise of museum professionals is needed in order to start incorporating the varicoloured practices of communities into our understanding of game heritage.
2020
Leorke, Dale
Games, Play and Playfulness in the Creative City: A Brief Overview Book Section
In: Leorke, Dale; Owens, Marcus (Ed.): Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City, pp. 27-37, Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-44123-4.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Creative cities, Creative industries, Game studies, Urban policy, Urban studies
@incollection{Leorke2020,
title = {Games, Play and Playfulness in the Creative City: A Brief Overview},
author = {Dale Leorke},
editor = {Dale Leorke and Marcus Owens},
doi = {10.4324/9781003007760},
isbn = {978-0-367-44123-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-31},
booktitle = {Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City},
pages = {27-37},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {This chapter provides a critical overview of the creative city agenda and how games, play and playfulness more broadly contribute to its objectives. I argue this is tied to the growing imperative for citizens and urban policymakers alike to ‘be playful’ in order to thrive in the new economy premised on the economic and spatial reconfiguration of cities in the post-industrial era. I begin with an overview of the literature on the creative city and the processes that led to its emergence, before identifying how games, play and playfulness instrumentally serve the creative city’s underpinning goal of attracting knowledge workers to its spaces. I argue that they serve this goal in three overarching ways: through their existence as a creative industry; by promoting cities as playful and playable; and by playfully instilling citizens with a creative ethos. I aim to establish a framework for examining this overlap between the games industry – and playful practices more broadly – and the economic exigencies of the creative city. In this vein, the chapter concludes with a series of provocations for future research on the role of games and play in urban economic policy and the imperative for cities to position themselves as creative, fun and playful.
},
keywords = {Creative cities, Creative industries, Game studies, Urban policy, Urban studies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter provides a critical overview of the creative city agenda and how games, play and playfulness more broadly contribute to its objectives. I argue this is tied to the growing imperative for citizens and urban policymakers alike to ‘be playful’ in order to thrive in the new economy premised on the economic and spatial reconfiguration of cities in the post-industrial era. I begin with an overview of the literature on the creative city and the processes that led to its emergence, before identifying how games, play and playfulness instrumentally serve the creative city’s underpinning goal of attracting knowledge workers to its spaces. I argue that they serve this goal in three overarching ways: through their existence as a creative industry; by promoting cities as playful and playable; and by playfully instilling citizens with a creative ethos. I aim to establish a framework for examining this overlap between the games industry – and playful practices more broadly – and the economic exigencies of the creative city. In this vein, the chapter concludes with a series of provocations for future research on the role of games and play in urban economic policy and the imperative for cities to position themselves as creative, fun and playful.
Leorke, Dale; Owens, Marcus
Introduction: Connecting Games, Play and Urban Discourse Book Section
In: Leorke, Dale; Owens, Marcus (Ed.): Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City, pp. 1-26, Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-44123-4.
Links | Tags: Creative cities, Game studies, Resilience, Smart city, Sustainability, Urban policy, Urban studies
@incollection{Leorke2020b,
title = {Introduction: Connecting Games, Play and Urban Discourse},
author = {Dale Leorke and Marcus Owens },
editor = {Dale Leorke and Marcus Owens },
doi = {10.4324/9781003007760},
isbn = {978-0-367-44123-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-31},
booktitle = {Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City},
pages = {1-26},
publisher = {Routledge},
keywords = {Creative cities, Game studies, Resilience, Smart city, Sustainability, Urban policy, Urban studies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Ramírez-Moreno, Carlos; Leorke, Dale
Promoting Yokosuka Through Videogame Tourism: The Shenmue Sacred Spot Guide Map Book Section
In: Leorke, Dale; Owens, Marcus (Ed.): Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City, pp. 38-63, Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-44123-4.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Contents tourism, Game studies, Tourism, Urban studies
@incollection{Ramírez-Moreno2020,
title = {Promoting Yokosuka Through Videogame Tourism: The Shenmue Sacred Spot Guide Map},
author = {Carlos Ramírez-Moreno and Dale Leorke},
editor = {Dale Leorke and Marcus Owens},
url = {https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/130111},
doi = {10.4324/9781003007760},
isbn = {978-0-367-44123-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-31},
urldate = {2020-12-31},
booktitle = {Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City},
pages = {38-63},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {Regional and local governments have long recognised the potential for films, television shows, novels and other media texts that are set in their city or country to attract tourists. Although there is a wealth of scholarship on how real-world locales are represented in digital games, scholars have to date largely overlooked the potential for videogames to likewise attract fans and ‘pilgrims’ to the locations in which they are set. This chapter addresses this gap through the case study of Yokosuka in Japan, which has recognised the cult classic videogame Shenmue (1999) as a drawcard for tourists and fans outside the city. Through its sacred spot guide map, Yokosuka officials provide a guide for tourists seeking to visit locations depicted in the game that contrasts their fictional and real-world counterparts and invites visitors to explore the city’s spaces through affiliated promotion campaigns. Drawing on an analysis of the guide map, an interview with its creators and field observation in Yokosuka itself, we examine the potential for the guide map and other forms of city-funded videogame tourism to put cities that are otherwise overlooked in travel guides and reviews figuratively ‘on the map’ and to boost their local economy.},
keywords = {Contents tourism, Game studies, Tourism, Urban studies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Regional and local governments have long recognised the potential for films, television shows, novels and other media texts that are set in their city or country to attract tourists. Although there is a wealth of scholarship on how real-world locales are represented in digital games, scholars have to date largely overlooked the potential for videogames to likewise attract fans and ‘pilgrims’ to the locations in which they are set. This chapter addresses this gap through the case study of Yokosuka in Japan, which has recognised the cult classic videogame Shenmue (1999) as a drawcard for tourists and fans outside the city. Through its sacred spot guide map, Yokosuka officials provide a guide for tourists seeking to visit locations depicted in the game that contrasts their fictional and real-world counterparts and invites visitors to explore the city’s spaces through affiliated promotion campaigns. Drawing on an analysis of the guide map, an interview with its creators and field observation in Yokosuka itself, we examine the potential for the guide map and other forms of city-funded videogame tourism to put cities that are otherwise overlooked in travel guides and reviews figuratively ‘on the map’ and to boost their local economy.
Mäyrä, Frans; Alha, Kati
Mobile Gaming Book Section
In: Kowert, Rachel; Quandt, Thorsten (Ed.): The Video Game Debate 2: Revisiting the Physical, Social, and Psychological Effects of Video Games, pp. 107-120, Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-36694-0.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Game studies, Gaming, Mobile gaming
@incollection{Mäyrä2020b,
title = {Mobile Gaming},
author = {Frans Mäyrä and Kati Alha},
editor = {Rachel Kowert and Thorsten Quandt},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202101201535},
doi = {10.4324/9780429351815},
isbn = {978-0-367-36694-0},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-11-30},
booktitle = {The Video Game Debate 2: Revisiting the Physical, Social, and Psychological Effects of Video Games},
pages = {107-120},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {This chapter will briefly outline the success story of mobile games, along with the associated developments in the culture of mobile gaming, and will highlight several of the relevant debates and research trends of this quickly developing field. The focus is on three major turns or periods of mobile gaming: the early history of handheld gaming devices and cell phones; the smartphone era and the birth of the contemporary mobile gaming ecosystem; and, finally, the emergence of location-based and mixed reality mobile gaming. The chapter discusses the multiple, distinctive features and consequences of these different varieties of mobile gaming, for the actual gaming content, game development, and industry practices as well as for the people who play games, and for the culture and society that is immersed in gaming.},
keywords = {Game studies, Gaming, Mobile gaming},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter will briefly outline the success story of mobile games, along with the associated developments in the culture of mobile gaming, and will highlight several of the relevant debates and research trends of this quickly developing field. The focus is on three major turns or periods of mobile gaming: the early history of handheld gaming devices and cell phones; the smartphone era and the birth of the contemporary mobile gaming ecosystem; and, finally, the emergence of location-based and mixed reality mobile gaming. The chapter discusses the multiple, distinctive features and consequences of these different varieties of mobile gaming, for the actual gaming content, game development, and industry practices as well as for the people who play games, and for the culture and society that is immersed in gaming.
Leorke, Dale; Owens, Marcus
Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City Book
Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-44123-4.
Abstract | Tags: Creative cities, Game studies, Play, Smart city, Sustainability, Tourism, Urban policy, Urban studies
@book{Leorke2020c,
title = {Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City},
author = {Dale Leorke and Marcus Owens},
isbn = {978-0-367-44123-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-11-16},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {This book explores what games and play can tell us about contemporary processes of urbanization and examines how the dynamics of gaming can help us understand the interurban competition that underpins the entrepreneurialism of the smart and creative city. Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City is a collection of chapters written by an interdisciplinary group of scholars from game studies, media studies, play studies, architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning. It situates the historical evolution of play and games in the urban landscape and outlines the scope of the various ways games and play contribute to the city’s economy, cultural life and environmental concerns. In connecting games and play more concretely to urban discourses and design strategies, this book urges scholars to consider their growing contribution to three overarching sets of discourses that dominate urban planning and policy today: the creative and cultural economies of cities; the smart and playable city; and ecological cities. This interdisciplinary work will be of great interest to students and scholars of game studies, play studies, landscape architecture (and allied design fields), urban geography, and art history.
},
keywords = {Creative cities, Game studies, Play, Smart city, Sustainability, Tourism, Urban policy, Urban studies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
This book explores what games and play can tell us about contemporary processes of urbanization and examines how the dynamics of gaming can help us understand the interurban competition that underpins the entrepreneurialism of the smart and creative city. Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City is a collection of chapters written by an interdisciplinary group of scholars from game studies, media studies, play studies, architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning. It situates the historical evolution of play and games in the urban landscape and outlines the scope of the various ways games and play contribute to the city’s economy, cultural life and environmental concerns. In connecting games and play more concretely to urban discourses and design strategies, this book urges scholars to consider their growing contribution to three overarching sets of discourses that dominate urban planning and policy today: the creative and cultural economies of cities; the smart and playable city; and ecological cities. This interdisciplinary work will be of great interest to students and scholars of game studies, play studies, landscape architecture (and allied design fields), urban geography, and art history.
Meriläinen, Mikko; Aurava, Riikka; Kultima, Annakaisa; Stenros, Jaakko
Game Jams for Learning and Teaching: A Review Journal Article
In: International Journal of Game-Based Learning, vol. 10, iss. 2, pp. 54-71, 2020, ISSN: 2155-6849.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Co-creation, Collaborative learning, Design research, Game creation, Game development, Game pedagogy, Game studies, Multidisciplinary, STEAM skills
@article{Meriläinen2020b,
title = {Game Jams for Learning and Teaching: A Review},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen and Riikka Aurava and Annakaisa Kultima and Jaakko Stenros},
url = {https://research.aalto.fi/en/publications/game-jams-for-learning-and-teaching-a-review},
doi = {10.4018/IJGBL.2020040104},
issn = {2155-6849},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
journal = {International Journal of Game-Based Learning},
volume = {10},
issue = {2},
pages = {54-71},
abstract = {Game jams are intensive events focusing on creation. Their popularity and visibility have soared in recent years. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of scholars interested in education and learning, and the potential of game jams has been studied in various ways. Increasingly, game jams have come to be viewed as a site for learning. They are seen as activities for developing technical skills needed for digital game development, developing so-called soft skills such as collaboration and communication skills and as a way to teach and learn science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM) skills. In this article, the educational aspects of game jams are explored from multidisciplinary points of view. Combining education science, design research, and game studies, the authors position game jamming at the intersection of these disciplines to explore its various learning dimensions. This positioning provides a starting point for future studies of game jamming in the context of learning and teaching and invites discussion from diverse fields of study.},
keywords = {Co-creation, Collaborative learning, Design research, Game creation, Game development, Game pedagogy, Game studies, Multidisciplinary, STEAM skills},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Game jams are intensive events focusing on creation. Their popularity and visibility have soared in recent years. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of scholars interested in education and learning, and the potential of game jams has been studied in various ways. Increasingly, game jams have come to be viewed as a site for learning. They are seen as activities for developing technical skills needed for digital game development, developing so-called soft skills such as collaboration and communication skills and as a way to teach and learn science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM) skills. In this article, the educational aspects of game jams are explored from multidisciplinary points of view. Combining education science, design research, and game studies, the authors position game jamming at the intersection of these disciplines to explore its various learning dimensions. This positioning provides a starting point for future studies of game jamming in the context of learning and teaching and invites discussion from diverse fields of study.
Mäyrä, Frans
The Hybrid Agency of Hybrid Play Book Section
In: de Souza e Silva, Adriana; Glover-Rijkse, Ragan (Ed.): Hybrid Play: Crossing Boundaries in Game Design, Player Identities and Play Spaces, pp. 81-97, Routledge, 2020, ISBN: 978-0-367-42778-8.
Links | Tags: Agency, Game culture, Game studies, Hybridisyys, Hybridity, Pelikulttuuri, Pelitutkimus, Toimijuus
@incollection{Mäyrä2020c,
title = {The Hybrid Agency of Hybrid Play},
author = {Frans Mäyrä},
editor = {Adriana de Souza e Silva and Ragan Glover-Rijkse},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202005135258},
doi = {10.4324/9780367855055-8},
isbn = {978-0-367-42778-8},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-18},
booktitle = {Hybrid Play: Crossing Boundaries in Game Design, Player Identities and Play Spaces},
pages = {81-97},
publisher = {Routledge},
keywords = {Agency, Game culture, Game studies, Hybridisyys, Hybridity, Pelikulttuuri, Pelitutkimus, Toimijuus},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
2018
Pasanen, Tero
Kohut ja moraalipaniikit pelimedian kulttuurisina siirtymäriitteinä Journal Article
In: pp. 112-115, 2018.
Links | Tags: Digitaalinen media, Digitaaliset pelit, Game studies, Game violence, Gaming controversy, Gaming culture, Julkinen keskustelu, Lectio, Lektio, Mediakulttuuri, Moraali, Moraalinen paniikki, Pelikulttuuri, Pelit, Pelitutkimus, Polemiikki, Populaarikulttuuri, Sosiaalinen asema, Sosiaaliset normit, Uusmedia, Väkivaltaviihde, Yhteiskunnallinen asema
@article{Pasanen2018,
title = {Kohut ja moraalipaniikit pelimedian kulttuurisina siirtymäriitteinä},
author = {Tero Pasanen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-201812215323},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-12-19},
urldate = {2018-12-19},
booktitle = {Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2018},
pages = {112-115},
keywords = {Digitaalinen media, Digitaaliset pelit, Game studies, Game violence, Gaming controversy, Gaming culture, Julkinen keskustelu, Lectio, Lektio, Mediakulttuuri, Moraali, Moraalinen paniikki, Pelikulttuuri, Pelit, Pelitutkimus, Polemiikki, Populaarikulttuuri, Sosiaalinen asema, Sosiaaliset normit, Uusmedia, Väkivaltaviihde, Yhteiskunnallinen asema},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Torner, Evan
Just (the Institution of Computer) Game Studies Journal Article
In: Analog Game Studies, vol. 5, iss. 1, 2018, ISSN: 2643-7112.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Capitalism, Crowdfunding, DiGRA, Game studies, Non-digital, Revenge of the analog, White Death
@article{Torner2018b,
title = {Just (the Institution of Computer) Game Studies},
author = {Evan Torner},
url = {https://analoggamestudies.org/2018/06/just-the-institution-of-computer-game-studies/},
issn = {2643-7112},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-06-03},
urldate = {2018-06-03},
journal = {Analog Game Studies},
volume = {5},
issue = {1},
abstract = {In the July 2017 issue of Game Studies, a journal subtitled “the international journal of computer game research,” founder and editor-in-chief Espen Aarseth released a short, remarkable editorial brief under the title “Just Games”:
“From the next issue, Game Studies actively welcomes articles on games in general, and will not be limited to an empirical focus on digital games. It is time to recognize that the study of games cannot and should not be segregated into digital and non-digital, and for most of the field, in practice, as well as in theory, this has never been so.”},
keywords = {Capitalism, Crowdfunding, DiGRA, Game studies, Non-digital, Revenge of the analog, White Death},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the July 2017 issue of Game Studies, a journal subtitled “the international journal of computer game research,” founder and editor-in-chief Espen Aarseth released a short, remarkable editorial brief under the title “Just Games”:
“From the next issue, Game Studies actively welcomes articles on games in general, and will not be limited to an empirical focus on digital games. It is time to recognize that the study of games cannot and should not be segregated into digital and non-digital, and for most of the field, in practice, as well as in theory, this has never been so.”
“From the next issue, Game Studies actively welcomes articles on games in general, and will not be limited to an empirical focus on digital games. It is time to recognize that the study of games cannot and should not be segregated into digital and non-digital, and for most of the field, in practice, as well as in theory, this has never been so.”
Harviainen, J. Tuomas; Brown, Ashley M. L.; Suominen, Jaakko
Three Waves of Awkwardness: A Meta-Analysis of Sex in Game Studies Journal Article
In: Games and Culture, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 605–623, 2018, ISSN: 15554139.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Critical meta-analysis, Game studies, Methodology, Sexuality, Theory
@article{Harviainen2018,
title = {Three Waves of Awkwardness: A Meta-Analysis of Sex in Game Studies},
author = {J. Tuomas Harviainen and Ashley M. L. Brown and Jaakko Suominen},
doi = {10.1177/1555412016636219},
issn = {15554139},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
journal = {Games and Culture},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {605–623},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
address = {Los Angeles, CA},
abstract = {This article critically evaluates and questions the growth and maturity of game studies as a scholarly set of related approaches to the study of games, by providing an account of studies of sexuality in (mostly digital) games from 1978 to present. The main goal of this article is to highlight overarching themes and patterns in the literature, with a focus on theories and methodologies commonly used and the way game studies is still risk aware, even awkward in its discussions of sexuality. In addition to a review of 37 years of literature, the article employs a chronological and thematic metaphor analysis of past research texts to analyze whether game studies is growing up or in perpetual puberty and whether it really is exploring sexual maturity alongside the games we study. It finds that while different periods of time can be identified in research as far as approaches to sexuality in games go, game studies is still to a large extent engaged in the management of the stigma that discussing sexuality may cause. Rather than a maturation process, the waves are shown to be manifestations of different types of environmentally influenced risk awareness, consecutive risk avoidance, and a resulting awkwardness.},
keywords = {Critical meta-analysis, Game studies, Methodology, Sexuality, Theory},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article critically evaluates and questions the growth and maturity of game studies as a scholarly set of related approaches to the study of games, by providing an account of studies of sexuality in (mostly digital) games from 1978 to present. The main goal of this article is to highlight overarching themes and patterns in the literature, with a focus on theories and methodologies commonly used and the way game studies is still risk aware, even awkward in its discussions of sexuality. In addition to a review of 37 years of literature, the article employs a chronological and thematic metaphor analysis of past research texts to analyze whether game studies is growing up or in perpetual puberty and whether it really is exploring sexual maturity alongside the games we study. It finds that while different periods of time can be identified in research as far as approaches to sexuality in games go, game studies is still to a large extent engaged in the management of the stigma that discussing sexuality may cause. Rather than a maturation process, the waves are shown to be manifestations of different types of environmentally influenced risk awareness, consecutive risk avoidance, and a resulting awkwardness.
Stenros, Jaakko; Kultima, Annakaisa
On the Expanding Ludosphere Journal Article
In: Simulation & Gaming, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 338–355, 2018, ISSN: 1552826X.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Design research, Game research, Game science, Game studies, Interdisciplinarity, Ludology, Ludosphere
@article{Stenros2018,
title = {On the Expanding Ludosphere},
author = {Jaakko Stenros and Annakaisa Kultima},
doi = {10.1177/1046878118779640},
issn = {1552826X},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Simulation and Gaming},
journal = {Simulation & Gaming},
volume = {49},
number = {3},
pages = {338–355},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
address = {Los Angeles, CA},
abstract = {Background. Taking Klabbers' call for a coherent game science as a starting point, we argue for an alternative way to approach the multidisciplinarity of research into games. Aim. Building on game studies and design research, this article reviews the history and forecasts the future of studying games. Application. All scholars of games could benefit from an awareness of the works of other game scholars in different traditions. The plurality of approaches towards games is an intellectual strength, even if it is difficult for a single scholar to maintain a holistic grasp on research relating to ‘games'. The multitude not only describes the disciplinary traditions reflecting the wider phenomenon of games and play, but also games as creative practice. Demonstration. While the article is theoretical in nature, we use real-world examples to illustrate and ground the argumentation. For example, a key challenge identified here is that the realm of games and their influence, the ludosphere, is expanding too rapidly for any single researcher to keep up with it. Conclusions. We invite game scholars to cultivate a stronger awareness of the multitude of research into games to better position their own work in a larger context.},
keywords = {Design research, Game research, Game science, Game studies, Interdisciplinarity, Ludology, Ludosphere},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background. Taking Klabbers' call for a coherent game science as a starting point, we argue for an alternative way to approach the multidisciplinarity of research into games. Aim. Building on game studies and design research, this article reviews the history and forecasts the future of studying games. Application. All scholars of games could benefit from an awareness of the works of other game scholars in different traditions. The plurality of approaches towards games is an intellectual strength, even if it is difficult for a single scholar to maintain a holistic grasp on research relating to ‘games'. The multitude not only describes the disciplinary traditions reflecting the wider phenomenon of games and play, but also games as creative practice. Demonstration. While the article is theoretical in nature, we use real-world examples to illustrate and ground the argumentation. For example, a key challenge identified here is that the realm of games and their influence, the ludosphere, is expanding too rapidly for any single researcher to keep up with it. Conclusions. We invite game scholars to cultivate a stronger awareness of the multitude of research into games to better position their own work in a larger context.