The Games Men Play

2017 ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Eric Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Discourse Communities ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter conveys the results of a study examining how male students use video games to construct their masculinity. Applying a critical discourse methodology, the study provides insight into how men construct their masculinity within video game discourse communities and how the construction applies to other discourses. It examines how men enter the discourse, what they learn in the discourse, and then how they apply that learning to other discourse communities. It concludes with recommendations and suggestions regarding how video games are a critical part of popular culture that facilitates construction of an identity through the multitude of encounters and relationships within the discourse.

Non-religious Players Asking Big Questions: Video Game Worlds Affording Affinities of Meaningful Encounters

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200012
Author(s):  
Heidi Rautalahti
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Qualitative Interview ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Search For Self ◽  
Game Players

The article examines player narratives on meaningful encounters with video games by using an argumentative qualitative interview method. Data gathered among Finnish adult video game players represents narratives of important connections in personal lives, affinities that the article analyzes as further producing three distinctive themes on meaningful encounters. Utilizing a study-of-religion framework, the article discusses meaning making and emerging ways of meaningfulness connected to the larger discussion on the “big questions” that are asked, explored, and answered in popular culture today. Non-religious players talk about intricate and profound contemplations in relation to game memories, highlighting how accidental self-reflections in mundane game worlds frame a continuing search for self.

scholarly journals Video Games and Tourism – Tourism Motivations of Chinese Video Game Players

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanzhou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push And Pull Factors ◽  
Tourism Motivation ◽  
Game Players ◽  
Push And Pull ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>This thesis discusses the impact of video games on the tourism motivation of Chinese video game players, focusing on the Assassin’s Creed series of games. Four research questions are considered: What is the difference between the travelers’ tourism motivations and non-travelers’ tourism motivations in Chinese Assassin’s Creed players in terms of push and pull factors? What is the relationship between demographic characteristics and tourism motivations? Do gamer typologies have impact on Chinese Assassin’s Creed players’ tourism motivations? What impact does time and frequencies of playing Assassin’s Creed have on players’ tourism motivations in terms of push and pull factors?</b></p> <p>The review of literature focuses on video game players, video games and tourism, popular culture tourism and tourism motivation. The thesis identifies gaps in knowledge about the tourism motivations of Chinese video game players, and the relationship between tourism motivations and player typologies and participation in the game (time and frequency). As non-travelers are included in the data collection, it is found that the tourism motivation of non-travelers is also a knowledge gap through reviewing literature.</p> <p>Motivational push and pull factors as the theoretical basis of this research and the study focuses on the Assassin’s Creed games series. The study uses a quantitative method and collects data through an online survey of Chinese gamers recruited through three Assassin’s Creed online communities. The first stage of data collection focused on those who had travelled to France, Italy or the UK, the locations appearing in four of the Assassin’s Creed games. 29 useable responses were collected. The second stage broadened the sample to include those gamers who had not travelled to these places (termed non-travelers). This generated 131 useable responses, making 160 respondents in total.</p> <p>For Chinese video game players, novelty was the most important push factor motivating travel to the Western European countries appearing in the Assassin’s Creed games. The location attribute was the most important pull factor. There is no difference in the reported tourism motivation of travelers and non-travelers. Comparing tourism motivations by age, sociality and location attributes were not different, however, respondents aged 18 to 25 had higher importance in novelty and game-related push and pull tourism motivation factors than older gamers. There was no significant difference between male and female players' tourism push and pull motivations. Based on gaming motivation, the respondents are divided into two types: hardcore players (having multiple gaming motivations) and casual players (play games for passing time). Hardcore players give higher importance to tourism motivations than casual players. More-involved players give higher importance to tourism push motivations relating to video game than less-involved players. In popular culture tourism research, there are few explorations related to video games. The research on video games and tourism has mainly focused on the gamification of tourism marketing and travel experience. This thesis is one of a few studies of gamers and tourism. Thesis derived the new knowledge for understanding video gamers’ tourism motivations.</p>

scholarly journals Video Games and Tourism – Tourism Motivations of Chinese Video Game Players

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yanzhou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push And Pull Factors ◽  
Tourism Motivation ◽  
Game Players ◽  
Push And Pull ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>This thesis discusses the impact of video games on the tourism motivation of Chinese video game players, focusing on the Assassin’s Creed series of games. Four research questions are considered: What is the difference between the travelers’ tourism motivations and non-travelers’ tourism motivations in Chinese Assassin’s Creed players in terms of push and pull factors? What is the relationship between demographic characteristics and tourism motivations? Do gamer typologies have impact on Chinese Assassin’s Creed players’ tourism motivations? What impact does time and frequencies of playing Assassin’s Creed have on players’ tourism motivations in terms of push and pull factors?</b></p> <p>The review of literature focuses on video game players, video games and tourism, popular culture tourism and tourism motivation. The thesis identifies gaps in knowledge about the tourism motivations of Chinese video game players, and the relationship between tourism motivations and player typologies and participation in the game (time and frequency). As non-travelers are included in the data collection, it is found that the tourism motivation of non-travelers is also a knowledge gap through reviewing literature.</p> <p>Motivational push and pull factors as the theoretical basis of this research and the study focuses on the Assassin’s Creed games series. The study uses a quantitative method and collects data through an online survey of Chinese gamers recruited through three Assassin’s Creed online communities. The first stage of data collection focused on those who had travelled to France, Italy or the UK, the locations appearing in four of the Assassin’s Creed games. 29 useable responses were collected. The second stage broadened the sample to include those gamers who had not travelled to these places (termed non-travelers). This generated 131 useable responses, making 160 respondents in total.</p> <p>For Chinese video game players, novelty was the most important push factor motivating travel to the Western European countries appearing in the Assassin’s Creed games. The location attribute was the most important pull factor. There is no difference in the reported tourism motivation of travelers and non-travelers. Comparing tourism motivations by age, sociality and location attributes were not different, however, respondents aged 18 to 25 had higher importance in novelty and game-related push and pull tourism motivation factors than older gamers. There was no significant difference between male and female players' tourism push and pull motivations. Based on gaming motivation, the respondents are divided into two types: hardcore players (having multiple gaming motivations) and casual players (play games for passing time). Hardcore players give higher importance to tourism motivations than casual players. More-involved players give higher importance to tourism push motivations relating to video game than less-involved players. In popular culture tourism research, there are few explorations related to video games. The research on video games and tourism has mainly focused on the gamification of tourism marketing and travel experience. This thesis is one of a few studies of gamers and tourism. Thesis derived the new knowledge for understanding video gamers’ tourism motivations.</p>

Using Video Games to Improve Literacy Levels of Males

2011 ◽  
pp. 192-206
Author(s):  
Stephenie Hewett
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Computer Technology ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Literacy Achievement ◽  
New Literacy ◽  
Achievement Levels

This chapter examines the differences in the educational needs of males, the origins of video games, and the issue of the decline in literacy achievement levels of male students worldwide. It promotes the idea that a new literacy which includes computer technology and visual literacy has changed the scope of literacy and that males have succeeded at developing the new literacy skills. The chapter is intended to inform educators of the literacy skills involved in video games, make connections with video game literacy and traditional literacy, and to encourage teachers to integrate video games into their curriculum.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Video Games in Late Adulthood

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Vale Costa ◽  
Ana Isabel Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Cognitive Effects ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Adventure Games ◽  
Game Industry ◽  
Insight Into

In the video game industry, older adults tend to be avid consumers. Although considerable research has been devoted to the positive cognitive effects of video games, less attention has been paid to the older adult gamer profile. The aim of this paper is to describe a survey conducted from November 2012 until May 2013, which includes 245 gamers aged 50 and over, about their game preferences. Specifically, the authors examined: (a) what types of video games are played and (b) what leads these players to be engaged by video games. The results indicate that adventure games with problem-solving are preferred, suggesting the skills that participants would like to practise. The study provides insight into a new video gamer profile.

scholarly journals Elements of Infrastructure Demand in Multiplayer Video Games

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Mirowski ◽  
Brian P. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Online Video ◽  
Multiplayer Games ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Human Endeavor ◽  
Multiplayer Video Games ◽  
Online Video Games

With the advent of organized eSports, game streaming, and always-online video games, there exist new and more pronounced demands on players, developers, publishers, spectators, and other video game actors. By identifying and exploring elements of infrastructure in multiplayer games, this paper augments Bowman’s (2018) conceptualization of demands in video games by introducing a new category of ‘infrastructure demand’ of games. This article describes how the infrastructure increasingly built around video games creates demands upon those interacting with these games, either as players, spectators, or facilitators of multiplayer video game play. We follow the method described by Susan Leigh Star (1999), who writes that infrastructure is as mundane as it is a critical part of society and as such is particularly deserving of academic study. When infrastructure works properly it fades from view, but in doing so loses none of its importance to human endeavor. This work therefore helps to make visible the invisible elements of infrastructure present in and around multiplayer video games and explicates the demands these elements create on people interacting with those games.

Using Video Games to Improve Literacy Levels of Males

2009 ◽  
pp. 286-299
Author(s):  
Stephenie Hewett
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Computer Technology ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Literacy Achievement ◽  
New Literacy ◽  
Achievement Levels

This chapter examines the differences in the educational needs of males, the origins of video games, and the issue of the decline in literacy achievement levels of male students worldwide. It promotes the idea that a new literacy which includes computer technology and visual literacy has changed the scope of literacy and that males have succeeded at developing the new literacy skills. The chapter is intended to inform educators of the literacy skills involved in video games, make connections with video game literacy and traditional literacy, and to encourage teachers to integrate video games into their curriculum.

The Positive Impact Model in Commercial Games

2009 ◽  
pp. 1303-1317
Author(s):  
Rusel DeMaria
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Impact Model ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
The Future ◽  
Game Industry ◽  
Insight Into

What is the future of video games? Is it more realism? More violence? Better physics? Artificially intelligent characters? More social networking games? Free to play and advertising supported? Games for non-gamers? More controversy, political scapegoating, and legal challenges? It’s probably all of the above, and more. In fact, while we may expect to see more of the same from the commercial video game industry, there is always the potential for surprises, both pleasant and not-so pleasant. One area of the future of games is less often discussed, but represents one of the most powerful and positive directions the industry could take. I call it the “positive impact model,” and for the rest of this chapter, I will attempt to provide some insight into what that phrase is meant to convey.

scholarly journals Heroes and Hooligans: The Heterogeneity of Video Game Modders

2021 ◽  
pp. 155541202110262
Author(s):  
Joanna Curtis ◽  
Gavin Oxburgh ◽  
Pam Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Homogeneous Group ◽  
Grey Area ◽  
Gaming Communities ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Self Defence

Video games are hugely popular, generating more than twice the revenue of global movie and music industries combined. Whilst technically illegal and often carrying negative connotations, modding constitutes a moral grey area that is commonly accepted, often encouraged by proprietary owners and forum-centred gaming communities. Literature reflects a disparity between outsider and insider perceptions of modding, with a paucity of studies reflecting insider perspectives. Using Reddit forum data, this study contributes insight into perceptions of modding held by gamers and ‘modders’, as described in their words and their territory. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes relating to unfairness in the vendor community, modders as antagonists, differences between modders and modding as forms of self-defence. Conclusions include that modding appears to have both pro- and antisocial applications, but many people and organisations demonise modders as a homogeneous group, which may encourage antisocial behaviours.

scholarly journals Ludic displacement of a biblical myth: 'the Binding of Isaac'

Kultura ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 303-320
Author(s):  
Jovana Vujanov
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Original Narrative ◽  
Radical Intervention

The Binding of Isaac, a 2011 video game by Edmund McMillan, is a postmodern take on the biblical episode of the same name which can be characterized as a displacement, in terms of Lubomh Doležel's Heterocosmica. It presents a radical intervention on the original narrative, one that creates a polemical anti world transmitted through the perspective of Isaac, a boy suffering abuse from his televangelism-obsessed mother. The main fabric of the game is his grotesque, gamified fantasy about encountering the delusional parent, which is filled with anxiety about his own sinfulness, with a counterweight that can be found in entities imported from popular culture, especially video games. The game's roguelike genre enables a procedural expression of the experience of abuse through an iterative storytelling technique, with the interplay of difference and repetition forming a cyclical narrative about the (im)possibilities of contemporary ludism to amend trauma.

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