THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO VIDEO GAME STUDIES The number of publications dealing with video game studies has exploded over the course of the last decade, but the field has produced few comprehensive reference works. The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies, compiled by well-known video game scholars Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, aims to address the ongoing theoreti- cal and methodological development of game studies, providing students, scholars, and game designers with a definitive look at contemporary video game studies. Features include: (cid:129) new perspectives on video games both as art form and cultural phenomenon; (cid:129) explorations of the technical and creative dimensions of video games; (cid:129) accounts of the political, social, and cultural dynamics of video games; (cid:129) comprehensive and interdisciplinary models and approaches for analyzing video games. Each essay provides a lively and succinct summary of its target area, quickly bringing the reader up-to-date on the pertinent issues surrounding each aspect of the field, including references for further reading. Together, they provide an overview of the present state of game studies that will undoubtedly prove invaluable to student, scholar, and designer alike. Contributors: Espen Aarseth, Jessica Aldred, Dominic Arsenault, Andrew Baerg, Robert Alan Brookey, Andrew Burn, Frédérique Clément, Mia Consalvo, Simon Dor, Joris Dormans, Anna Everett, Richard E. Ferdig, Clara Fernández-Vara, Robert Furze, Seth Giddings, Andreas Gregersen, Mark Grimshaw, Louis-Martin Guay, Christopher Hanson, Mark Hayse, Carrie Heeter, Robin Johnson, Daniel Joseph, Rune Klevjer, Lee Knuttila, Carly A. Kocurek, Peter Krapp, Lori Landay, Julia G. Raz, Andras Lukacs, Vincent Mauger, Frans Mäyrä, Sheila C. Murphy, David Myers, Michael Z. Newman, Simon Niedenthal, Michael Nitsche, Christopher A. Paul, Bernard Perron, Martin Picard, Richard Rouse III, Kevin Schut, Bobby Schweizer, John Sharp, Marko Siitonen, Olli Sotamaa, Grant Tavinor, Carl Therrien, Michael Thomasson, John Vanderhoef, Gerald Voorhees, Karin Wenz, Emma Witkowski, and Mark J. P. Wolf. This page intentionally left blank THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO VIDEO GAME STUDIES Edited by Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron First published 2014 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Taylor & Francis The right of the Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Routledge companion to video game studies / edited by Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron. pages cm.—(Routledge companions) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Video games. 2. Video games—Social aspects. I. Wolf, Mark J. P. II. Perron, Bernard. GV1469.3.R67 2013 794.8—dc23 2013021954 ISBN: 978–0–415–53332–4 (hbk) ISBN: 978–0–203–11426–1 (ebk) Typeset in Goudy by Swales & Willis, Exeter, Devon, UK CONTENTS List of Figures x Notes on Contributors xi Preface xxiii Acknowledgments xxv PART I Technological Aspects 1 1 Artifact 3 OLLI SOTAMAA 2 Artificial Intelligence 10 ROBIN JOHNSON 3 Controllers 19 SHEILA C. MURPHY 4 Emulation 25 SIMON DOR 5 Interface 32 VINCENT MAUGER 6 Platforms 41 BOBBY SCHWEIZER 7 Resolution 49 MARK J. P. WOLF PART II Formal Aspects 57 8 Art and Aesthetics 59 GRANT TAVINOR 9 Color 67 SIMON NIEDENTHAL CONTENTS 10 Conventions 74 BERNARD PERRON 11 Game Design 83 RICHARD ROUSE III 12 Dimensionality 91 JOHN SHARP 13 Levels 99 MARTIN PICARD 14 Perspective 107 JOHN SHARP 15 Sound 117 MARK GRIMSHAW 16 Worlds 125 MARK J. P. WOLF PART III Playfulness Aspects 133 17 Casualness 135 JULIA G. RAZ 18 Challenge 143 ROBERT FURZE 19 Cheating 152 MIA CONSALVO 20 Competition/Cooperation 158 EMMA WITKOWSKI 21 Conflict 166 MARKO SIITONEN 22 Interactivity 173 LORI LANDAY 23 Ludology 185 ESPEN AARSETH 24 Objectives 190 LOUIS-MARTIN GUAY vi CONTENTS 25 Players/Gamers 197 FRÉDÉRIC CLÉMENT 26 Repetition 204 CHRISTOPHER HANSON 27 Single-Player/Multiplayer 211 DANIEL JOSEPH AND LEE KNUTTILA PART IV Generic Aspects 221 28 Action 223 DOMINIC ARSENAULT 29 Adventure 232 CLARA FERNÁNDEZ-VARA 30 Role-playing 241 ANDREW BURN 31 Shooting 251 GERALD VOORHEES 32 Simulation 259 SETH GIDDINGS 33 Sports 267 ANDREW BAERG 34 Strategy 275 SIMON DOR PART V Cultural Aspects 283 35 Convergence 285 ROBERT ALAN BROOKEY 36 Culture 293 FRANS MÄYRÄ 37 Cut-scenes 301 RUNE KLEVJER 38 Death 310 KARIN WENZ vii CONTENTS 39 Education 317 RICHARD E. FERDIG 40 Media Ecology 324 KEVIN SCHUT 41 Research 331 DAVID MYERS 42 Retrogaming 339 MICHAEL THOMASSON 43 Violence 345 PETER KRAPP PART VI Sociological Aspects 353 44 Characters 355 JESSICA ALDRED 45 Community 364 CARLY A. KOCUREK 46 Femininity 373 CARRIE HEETER 47 Masculinity 380 MICHAEL Z. NEWMAN AND JOHN VANDERHOEF 48 Performance 388 MICHAEL NITSCHE 49 Race 396 ANNA EVERETT 50 Sociology 407 ANDRAS LUKACS PART VII Philosophical Aspects 415 51 Cognition 417 ANDREAS GREGERSEN 52 Emergence 427 JORIS DORMANS viii CONTENTS 53 Fiction 434 GRANT TAVINOR 54 Ideology 442 MARK HAYSE 55 Immersion 451 CARL THERRIEN 56 Meaning 459 CHRISTOPHER A. PAUL 57 Ethics 466 MARK HAYSE 58 Narratology 475 DOMINIC ARSENAULT 59 Ontology 484 ESPEN AARSETH 60 Transcendence 493 MARK HAYSE Index 502 ix