Introduction: Gamer studies

摘要

One of the original motivations behind creating the annual Under the Mask conference series back in 2007 was to provide an academic event that placed emphasis on the study of the gamer. This term 'the gamer' was problematic, however (even then amongst the original conference organizers), but nonetheless it has proved to be a productive cultural construct that has been the fertile ground for discussion. In his keynote presentation to the 2011 conference, Jason Rutter, for example, displayed a fascinating graphic that highlighted the clustering of terms such as 'player7 and 'gamer' in the academic literature; highlighting the differing terminology reflecting our differing approaches to the object of subject, both by self-confessed players and gamers themselves, and those that theorize about them.