Catálogo de publicaciones - revistas

<jats:p>In Man, Play and Games, Roger Caillois warns against the “rationalization” of play by working life and argues that the professionalization of competitive games (agôn) will have a negative impact on people and society. In this article, I elaborate on Caillois’ argument by suggesting that the professional context of electronic sports (e-Sports) rationalizes play by turning player psychology toward the pursuit of extrinsic rewards. This is evidenced in the instrumental decision-making that accompanies competitive gameplay as well as the “survival” strategies that e-Sports players deploy to endure its precarious working environment(s). In both cases, play is treated as work and has problematic psychological and sociological implications as a result.</jats:p>

<jats:p> The recent rise of gamification lead to a revival of the traditional game studies debate on the relationship between games and society, a key theme since Huizinga, Caillois, and Suits. Yet quite surprisingly, the works of these three authors, Caillois in particular, have mainly been used to establish notable antecedents, not been reevaluated nor discussed. The following pages will first explain the reasons behind these overlooking, taking advantage of the gamification debate to compare the actual theories on the relationship between games and society, subsequently recalling Caillois’ position, pointing out analogies and differences between the present and past stances. Secondly, this article will discuss the reasons to introduce the thought of Caillois in the current debate, showing compatibility between his theories and contemporary reflections, suggesting the possibility to use them to understand gamification, by observing the long-term analogies between games and societies and the role performed by mimicry. </jats:p>

<jats:p>The article aims to problematize the perspective of Roger Caillois beyond the relative more influential Les Jeux et les Hommes for Game Studies and then put the use of his theories to the test. By harnessing the alternative concepts of “symmetry” and “dissymmetry,” which are at the core of his approach, a textual analysis is applied to the high acclaimed video game Journey. Further suggestions from philosophy (“deconstruction” by Derrida), cultural studies (“the circuit of culture”), and game design support the study. Thus, symmetric and dissymmetric features (e.g., mechanics, aesthetics) are framed enlightening in-game processes further; conversely, the limits of these notions in game analysis are deepened along with some tendencies in misreading Caillois in the field.</jats:p>

<jats:p> The authors look at Caillois’ reflections on the dichotomy between work and leisure in relation to Marxism, whose dialectics are shown to influence the milieu under which Caillois developed his ideas. The contribution interrogates this labor/play dialectic while looking at recent literature on games being produced within the current capitalist and neoliberal system, focusing on phenomena like “playbour” and on key elements discussed in these theories, from the affordances and limitations of technology to the immaterial technological tools used by gamers and game makers. The article argues that looking at Caillois in relation to Marxism would provide an interesting critical perspective, one that has been underexplored by current approaches. The authors note that contemporary concerns on capitalism and games are far from being at odds with Caillois’ distinction between labur and play and suggest that the influence of Marxism on Caillois’ writings would provide an interesting terrain of further discussion. </jats:p>

<jats:p> This article examines social interactions in a Danish online social-casual games community using the Danish social constructs of Hygge and Janteloven. Hygge relates to notions of home, family, safety, and security in small, sheltered surroundings, while Janteloven is a subversive attempt to codify the unwritten rules that enforce equality (or mediocrity) in Scandinavian societies. Off-line, Hygge exists in physical environments where a safe, social atmosphere can be created, similar to sociability in physical third places. In the online setting, we identify the social construction of shared interpersonal spaces where Hygge is achieved and regulated through perceived fairness with respect to constitutive and regulative rules. A sense of belonging moderates players’ behaviors toward others and even their achievements in the game to maintain harmony. The article offers a unique examination of social constructs online, contributing to the knowledge of Danish culture and of how local cultures shape online behaviors. </jats:p>

<jats:p> This article examines the significance of two types of expertise in the popular multiplayer video game League of Legends. Previous research into multiplayer games has explored a variety of expertise models, some which concern only a player’s mastery of the controls and some which take negotiation of a game’s sociocultural context into account. This article analyzes play in League of Legends through the lens of a binary model of expertise, outlining examples of the in-game and out-of-game practices used by players in their pursuit of competitive success. I argue that forms of out-of-game or “metagame” expertise are of particular importance in League of Legends and are of such depth that further research would be highly valuable. </jats:p>

<jats:p> This article explores the current affordances and limitations of video game genre from a library and information science perspective with an emphasis on classification theory. We identify and discuss various purposes of genre relating to video games, including identity, collocation and retrieval, commercial marketing, and educational instruction. Through the use of examples, we discuss the ways in which these purposes are supported by genre classification and conceptualization and the implications for video games. Suggestions for improved conceptualizations such as family resemblances, prototype theory, faceted classification, and appeal factors for video game genres are considered, with discussions of strengths and weaknesses. This analysis helps inform potential future practical applications for describing video games at cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, museums, and archives, as well as furthering the understanding of video game genre and genre classification for game studies at large. </jats:p>

<jats:p> The popularity of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) has elicited concern that this is a context for cyberbullying. We used an online survey to examine the prevalence and types of cyberbullying in MMOG play and group differences in bullying behavior. Since most MMOGs are violent and research indicates that electronic mediums have high rates of bullying, we predicted that cyberbullying would be common in MMOG play. The participants ( N = 151)—a sample of self-selected MMOG players—frequently reported being cyber-victimized (52%) and engaging in cyberbullying (35%) during MMOG play. Rank was the most common motive for cyberbullying. We found that (a) males perpetrate more cyberbullying in MMOGs than females do; (b) heterosexuals perpetrate bullying at higher rates than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) participants do; (c) female and LGBT participants experienced significantly higher rates of sexually related cyber-victimization; and (d) opponents are bullied more than teammates. Rates of victimization and perpetration overlapped substantially. </jats:p>

<jats:p> This special issue of Games and Culture aims to engage in dialogue between different traditions of doing games research and to stimulate reflective responses about the overall state of the field. </jats:p>

<jats:p> In this article, over 60 definitions of games since the 1930s are reviewed in order to pinpoint what those definitions agree on and, more importantly, what they disagree on. This article is conceived of as a tool game scholars can use to better position themselves in regard to the concept of “game” by working out their answers to the 10 questions regarding game definition presented in here. </jats:p>