Participatory media is not only limited to the type of computer games but also the peer to peer networks formed in the playing of a computer game. The culture can be seen to be formed around media but computer games have also specific characteristics that make it a form of media and a participatory culture; multimediality, virtuality, interactivity and connectivity (Raessens, & Kattenbelt, p. 425).
There is a great difference between the participatory culture found in computer games as opposed to other forms of media such as film and television. Film and Television allows the viewers to watch what the television has programmed, but it doesn’t allow the user to change or make any alterations to anything, however computer games and video games, the player is able to alter the game by adding new feature or reconfiguring the existing ones. The player is also able to choose which direction or action they want to take. Computer games unlike other forms of media have an active audience that interacts and reacts to particular game elements.
The concepts of participation have been used to back up the characterization of computer games as a participatory culture and as a media culture. The participatory concept has been divided into three domains; Interactivity which refers to the distinctive mode of relating to the audio –visual representations or fictions. This concept is depicted in video games since the player is able to take control of what happens in a game given the controls (Darley, p. 156).
The second domain is the reconfiguration of an existing game. This refers to the exploration of the unknown. The player of the game makes strategic decisions about the alternative actions or path to take without necessarily making any changes in the software or history of the game. Configuration can also be seen when the game player builds a virtual world by selecting objects and actions from a fixed set of system (Raessens, pg.380). The third domain is the is construction which is the addition of new game elements which exists in the making of games or the modification of an already existing game which is also described as the deconstruct and alter of the existing game to suit the players needs (Raessens,pg.381).
The combination of the three domains and the inclusion of rules that govern the playing of the games give video games a feel of reality. The persuasion to play is brought about by the seduction of winning. Games can therefore be defined as part of participatory culture that allows the players to interact with the games
Darley, A. (2000). Visual digital culture: Surface plays a spectacle in new media genres. London and New York: Routledge
Raessens, J. & Kattenbelt, C. (2003). Computer games and the complexity of experience. In: M. Copier. Raessens, J. (Eds.), Level up: Digital games research conference2003 (pp. 420– 425). Utrecht: Utrecht University,Faculty of Arts.
Raessens , J (ND). Computer games as participatory media culture.
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/nich0185/myblog2/2012/03/video-game-causes-boy-to-shoot-his-parents.html
Hi Ella
ReplyDeleteI really like your post. How you begin by introducing culture in computer games and how it is different as opposed to the other means of media.
You further elaborate by detailing what TV and Film enables us to do as opposed to computer games, how we can interact / connect to it.
I also like the way you explain the three domains, simple English makes the whole blog easy to understand. However, I thought you may like to add in some examples in particular to each domains to further enhance the reader's understanding.
Thanks
Ly
Hi Ella, I found your post to be very informative and showed that you have a very good understanding of the topic. You stated a clear concept at the beginning of the post and present a well-rounded conclusion to finish off. Your line ‘the persuasion to play is brought about by the seduction of winning’ was a great driving force behind the post. However there were not enough of these types of lines and therefore the post became a little too informative and you summarised the topic more than you discussed it. Your written style was great and meant that the post was very clear and easy to read.
ReplyDeleteHey there,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I had little idea about gaming until last weeks lecture, and your blog was very informative and easy to understand. You made concise and clear points, and you developed a strong argument. Your blog was very well structured, and you used quotes where appropriate. Your explanation of the three domains was very well done, as I could easily understand it. A very good blog post, keep up the great work!
Ella, this is a well-presented piece, and you deserve praise for going beyond the required reading and incorporating extra sources into your post - which undoubtedly strengthens your discussion. Despite this, if I was to make one criticism, it would be the lack of examples cited (of, for instance, particular games), which could have painted a clearer picture of the participatory concepts mentioned, and further strengthened your post. Nonetheless, this is a solid coverage of each of Raessens' concepts, and the mention of the 'construction' domain leads me to consider video games like FIFA where add-ons enable users to play with teams not featured in the original version.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ella for the post.
ReplyDeleteI think you have made a very good explanation towards the topic: how computer games could be regarded as a form of participatory media culture. As you have mentioned above, the participatory media does not only limited to the computer games themselves, but also the peer to peer network formed in the playing of computer game. I like this idea very much and I found it really a great one. Surely, the peer to peer network of the computer games is a good way to enhance their interactivity. Players can communicate with the others through the chat room and instant messenger. Then, the interaction between computer game players would not only limit to the game. I think you can put more effort in describing this idea. And you talked about the computer games would allow players to interact and react to particular game elements. I think that we should not describe the players as only “active audience”, indeed, they are “participants” of the computer games. In many computer games, the players are taking roles. They are joining the games and be part of them. And I do believe this is one of the reasons why computer games are so popular.
I think you did a great job. You ideas are good and the structure of the whole blogs is clear. The readers can easily understand what the topic is about. Well done.
Hi Ella,
ReplyDeleteYour post perfectly describes the characteristics of games and gaming in very simple terms for anyone that didn't do the reading but I feel as though there was something missing, some kind of personal touch or link to actual games and problems in the gaming world. You had great sources and used them very well to further your explanations. You have a great sense of structure and fluid writing style that is easy to read and comprehend.
Your understanding of the difference between Tv and movies as a media platform and video games is good. You made it clear that we participate in both forms of media, however the level of participation in video games is completely different. You had great sources to back up your argument and your in text referencing was on point. Your writing style is very easy to read and it flows quite well. Presentation was good. spelling was good and your original content was too.
ReplyDelete