2020
Paavilainen, Janne
Defining Playability of Games: Functionality, Usability, and Gameplay Proceedings Article
In: AcademicMindtrek '20: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Academic Mindtrek, pp. 55-64, ACM, 2020, ISBN: 978-1-4503-7774-4.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Functionality, Gameplay, Games, Playability, Player experience, Theory, Usability, User experience
@inproceedings{Paavilainen2020,
title = {Defining Playability of Games: Functionality, Usability, and Gameplay},
author = {Janne Paavilainen},
doi = {10.1145/3377290.3377309},
isbn = {978-1-4503-7774-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-28},
urldate = {2020-01-28},
booktitle = {AcademicMindtrek '20: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Academic Mindtrek},
pages = {55-64},
publisher = {ACM},
abstract = {Playability is an ambiguous term that is often used but seldom defined. Used by researchers, practitioners, journalists, and players alike, the term has remained unclear due to different interpretations and definitions. We aim to provide clarity on this issue and propose a definition for playability that is based on a game's functionality, usability, and gameplay. We argue that playability should not cover aspects such as controllers, social contexts, or player experiences, as these are external factors related to hardware, situation, and players. Our definition is based on games as systems paradigm and it focuses only on components that the designer can design into the game. This approach provides clarity between playability and player experience, and it is applicable to all kinds of games - physical or digital. Good playability does not necessarily result in good player experience, while games with poor playability can be enjoyable in the certain contexts.},
keywords = {Functionality, Gameplay, Games, Playability, Player experience, Theory, Usability, User experience},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Playability is an ambiguous term that is often used but seldom defined. Used by researchers, practitioners, journalists, and players alike, the term has remained unclear due to different interpretations and definitions. We aim to provide clarity on this issue and propose a definition for playability that is based on a game's functionality, usability, and gameplay. We argue that playability should not cover aspects such as controllers, social contexts, or player experiences, as these are external factors related to hardware, situation, and players. Our definition is based on games as systems paradigm and it focuses only on components that the designer can design into the game. This approach provides clarity between playability and player experience, and it is applicable to all kinds of games - physical or digital. Good playability does not necessarily result in good player experience, while games with poor playability can be enjoyable in the certain contexts.
2018
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.