Is it in the Game? reconsidering play spaces, game definitions, theming and sports videogames

摘要

From the very first days of digital gaming, sport-themed videogames have been a constant and ever-popular presence. However, compared with many other genres of games, sports-themed videogames have remained relatively under-research. Using the case of ‘sports videogames’ this paper advocates a critical and located approach to understanding videogames and gameplay. Unlike many existing theorisations of gameplay, such as the ‘magic circle’ (Huizinga 1949 [1938]), which theorise play as a break from ordinary life, this paper argues for a consideration of play as a continuation of ‘the control of the established order’ (Lefebvre (1991 [1974]: 383). It argues that many videogames, and in particular sports videogames, can be understood as ‘themed’ spaces; which share similarities to other themed locations, such as fast-food restaurants and theme parks. These are ‘non-places’ (Augé 1995) themed to provide a sense of individuality, control and escape in a society that increasingly offers none.