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Michael Liebe

Universitaet Potsdam, DIGAREC, Faculty Member

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Game Studies went CEO. After co-founding the Digital Games Research Center at the University of Potsdam, the A MAZE. festival in Berlin and working on the European Masters program on Ludic Interfaces, building the Computer Games Collection at the Uni Potsdam and publishing a number of essays and books - I now run a company connecting game business, technology and culture, called Booster Space. Makers of gamesweekberlin and Womenize! as well as VR Now Con

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Alexander Shlapunov

Siberian Federal University

Universitaet Potsdam

Christofer Herrmann

Technische Universität Berlin

University of Szczecin, Poland

Joanna Jakutowicz

Freie Universität Berlin

Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Bochum

Valentin Hammerschmidt

Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel

Technische Universität Dresden

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Papers by Michael Liebe

The magic circle and the puzzle piece

Conference proceedings of the philosophy of computer games, 2008

In a common description, to play a game is to step inside a concrete or metaphorical magic circle... more In a common description, to play a game is to step inside a concrete or metaphorical magic circle where special rules apply. In video game studies, this description has received an inordinate amount of criticism which the paper argues has two primary sources: 1. a misreading of the basic concept of the magic circle and 2. a somewhat rushed application of traditional theoretical concerns onto games. The paper argues that games studies must move beyond conventional criticisms of binary distinctions and rather look at the details of ...

There is no magic circle : on the difference between computer games and traditional games

This text compares the special characteristics of the game space in computer-generated environmen... more This text compares the special characteristics of the game space in computer-generated environments with that in non-computerized playing-situations. Herewith, the concept of the magic circle as a deliberately delineated playing sphere with specific rules to be upheld by the players, is challenged. Yet, computer games also provide a virtual playing environment containing the rules of the game as well as the various action possibilities. But both the hardware and software facilitate the player's actions rather than constraining them. This makes computer games fundamentally different: in contrast to traditional game spaces or limits, the computer-generated environment does not rely on the awareness of the player in upholding these rules.-Thus, there is no magic circle. In this paper, I compare the special relationship of the game space in computer-generated environments with that in non-computerized playing situations. Herewith, the transference of the so-called magic circle of traditional games to computer games is challenged. The computer game is a very complex phenomenon. Like its neighboring media, such as television and cinema, it is a combination of cultural expression and technological innovation. It not only opens the field to narrative and art, but also includes the vast area of sport. This makes it even more difficult to grasp. Therefore, it is essential to focus on a specific type of game or specific aspects of the computer game in order to provide a valid argument for my premise. As the possibility to play a diverse number of games without depending on a human opponent is a crucial characteristic of computer games, I

Bedeutung und Interaktion im und mit Computerspiel. Ein Modell zur Beschreibung der Handlungsaktualisierung in Computerspielen

Locating Action in the Computer Game

Extending Alexander Galloway’s analysis of the action-image in videogames, this essay explores th... more Extending Alexander Galloway’s analysis of the action-image in videogames, this essay explores the concept in relation to its source: the analysis of cinema by the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. The applicability of the concept to videogames will, therefore, be considered through a comparison between the First Person Shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Andrey Tarkovsky’s film Stalker. This analysis will compellingly explore the nature of videogame-action, its relation to player-perceptions and its location within the machinic and ludic schema.

DIGAREC Lectures 2008/09: Vorträge am Zentrum für Computerspielforschung mit Wissenschaftsforum der Deutschen Gamestage; Quo Vadis 2008 und 2009

nbn-resolving.de, 2009

Mit Beiträgen von Oliver Castendyk (Erich Pommer Institut), Stephan Günzel mit Michael Liebe und ... more

There is no magic circle: on the difference between computer games and traditional games

opus.kobv.de

Sachsen, Mit Allerhöchster Genehmigung Seiner Majestät des Königs hat die auf die Zeit vom 1. Apr... more

Logic and structure of the computer game

years, the research community can already look back on an increasing number of conferences, volum... more years, the research community can already look back on an increasing number of conferences, volumes, research projects, and a lot of comparisons between digital games and cinema, literature, theatre, and arts-nearly every artistic practice was taken into account. Within this period, one can look back not only on the (by now almost classic) controversy between ludology and narratology, but also on several other approaches, for instance the discussion about the character of action and interaction, ethics in computer games, and the interrelationship between games and violence, the social impact of digital games. More recently, the interconnection between space and the visual or the role of the first person perspective, as it was discussed in analytical philosophy, and the question of the dispositive or empowerment, to name but a few, have been topics of discussion.. Some consequences may be drawn from this: Firstly, computer games are a complex issue which has to be analyzed from an interdisciplinary angle. This is why DIGAREC started with a combination of different fields, including Media Studies, Psychology, Law, Art Processes, Design, Computer Science, and others. Secondly, the research of computer games leads not only to insights pertaining to The contribution of Daniel Cermak-Sassenrath (University of Bremen) proposes play as another possible perspective on communication, simulation, interactive narrative and ubiquitous computing in human-computer interaction. In "The Logic of Play in Everyday Human-Computer Interaction", he analyzes how everyday use of the computer increasingly show signs of similarity to play. This is discussed in respect to the playful character of interaction with the computer that has always been part of the exploratory learning process involved with new software and the often creative tasks that are undertaken when using the computer. These observations point to a sense of security, autonomy and freedom for the user which produce play and are, in turn, produced by play. This notion of play refers not to the playing of computer games, but to an implicit, abstract (or symbolic) process that is based on a certain attitude, the play spirit. scribed as a variation of the movement-image. Jochen Venus (University of Siegen) ascertains the characteristics of the representational function of computer games by contrasting them phenomenologically with conventional games on the one hand and cinematic depictions on the other. "Simulation of Selfaction. On the Morphology of Remote-Controlled Role Playing" shows that computer games a) separate the player from the playing field, and b) translate bodily felt concrete actions into situational abstract cinematic depictions. These features add up to the situational abstract presentation of self action experience. Computer games establish an 'artificial sameness' of self action experiences and allow the direct communication of styles of acting. They reveal a potential as a new means of shared cognition which might unfold in the 21 st century and change the being-in-the-world in a similar way as cinematic depiction did in the 20 th century.

Conference Proceedings of The Philosophy of Computer Games 2008

For the Reggio Emilia conference, submitted abstracts were selected for presentations focused on ... more For the Reggio Emilia conference, submitted abstracts were selected for presentations focused on three main thematic categories: the ontology of computer game objects, player experience, and the ethics of computer games. During the conference, one full day was dedicated to presentation and discussion of papers on different aspects of one of these three themes. After each presentation, abundant time was set apart for what turned out to be very lively and engaged discussions. On the website of the conference (http://game. Coppock hope, act as a valuable stimulus to researchers in this new field of studies to seek excellence in informed dialog with their peers, many of whom are, as one might expect, quite young researchers at the very beginning of their careers. As a professional semiotician, living and working in Italy for the last or so ten years, I find the field of philosophy of computer games a fascinating and challenging one. Italy is, of course, also the home of one of the probably most internationally well-known and acclaimed semioticians, Umberto Eco, who in his introduction to his treatise Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language from 1984, defines general semiotics as a "good" philosophy of language, i.e. a philosophy of language-such as Plato's Cratylus and Wittgenstein's language games-that concerns itself not only with languages per se, but also with understanding the systematicity and mechanics of any of the possible ways and means (verbal, written, gestural, visual, etc.) by which human beings are able to make, exchange, and transform meanings that regard ourselves, one another, and the world we live in. According to Eco, one of the probably most intriguing, and simultaneously most irritating, aspects of philosophical discourse is, that it cannot be used to carry out empirical research programs as in the natural sciences. The claims and speculations philosophers make about being, the world, meaning, life, ourselves and the others, culture and so on, can not be empirically tested and confirmed, experimentally or otherwise. Indeed, the "empirical" data philosophers work with is substantially specialized concepts that necessarily must be posited, manipulated, and evaluated within their own precisely defined and explicated philosophical frameworks, in order to be seen to make sense. If such concepts are spuriously employed outside of their specific philosophical frameworks they cannot be said, or be seen by others, to have any kind of intrinsic or other coherence. However, the particular strength of taking a philosophical approach to the study of cultural meaning-making processes in general-and in particular

Berlin: Women in Tech

Vor dem Spiel ist in dem Spiel. Computerspiel-Kunst zwischen Apparat und Aktion

Kritische Berichte Zeitschrift Fur Kunst Und Kulturwissenschaften, Jan 16, 2015

Video Games Around the World, 2015

Interactivity and Music in Computer Games

Music and Game, 2012

Der Computerspiei-Avatar als Spielform des Selbst (?)

Das Spiel zwischen Subjektivität, Kunst und Alltagspraxis, 2012

DIGAREC Keynote-Lectures 2009/10

In the winter semester 2009/2010, the Digital Game Research Center of the University of Potsdam w... more In the winter semester 2009/2010, the Digital Game Research Center of the University of Potsdam was able to hold the DIGAREC-Keynote Lectures for the first time. It followed a lecture series held in 2008/09, in which the members of the center introduced their research projects, spanning the fields of design, law, information science, psychology, and media studies. Together with the presentations of the 'scientific forum'at the German Game Days 2008 and 2009 in Berlin, the respective papers are published in the second Volume of the ...

Die Dispositive des Computerspiels

Perspektiven des Computerspiels, 2008

The magic circle and the puzzle piece

Conference proceedings of the philosophy of computer games, 2008

In a common description, to play a game is to step inside a concrete or metaphorical magic circle... more In a common description, to play a game is to step inside a concrete or metaphorical magic circle where special rules apply. In video game studies, this description has received an inordinate amount of criticism which the paper argues has two primary sources: 1. a misreading of the basic concept of the magic circle and 2. a somewhat rushed application of traditional theoretical concerns onto games. The paper argues that games studies must move beyond conventional criticisms of binary distinctions and rather look at the details of ...

There is no magic circle : on the difference between computer games and traditional games

This text compares the special characteristics of the game space in computer-generated environmen... more This text compares the special characteristics of the game space in computer-generated environments with that in non-computerized playing-situations. Herewith, the concept of the magic circle as a deliberately delineated playing sphere with specific rules to be upheld by the players, is challenged. Yet, computer games also provide a virtual playing environment containing the rules of the game as well as the various action possibilities. But both the hardware and software facilitate the player's actions rather than constraining them. This makes computer games fundamentally different: in contrast to traditional game spaces or limits, the computer-generated environment does not rely on the awareness of the player in upholding these rules.-Thus, there is no magic circle. In this paper, I compare the special relationship of the game space in computer-generated environments with that in non-computerized playing situations. Herewith, the transference of the so-called magic circle of traditional games to computer games is challenged. The computer game is a very complex phenomenon. Like its neighboring media, such as television and cinema, it is a combination of cultural expression and technological innovation. It not only opens the field to narrative and art, but also includes the vast area of sport. This makes it even more difficult to grasp. Therefore, it is essential to focus on a specific type of game or specific aspects of the computer game in order to provide a valid argument for my premise. As the possibility to play a diverse number of games without depending on a human opponent is a crucial characteristic of computer games, I

Bedeutung und Interaktion im und mit Computerspiel. Ein Modell zur Beschreibung der Handlungsaktualisierung in Computerspielen

Locating Action in the Computer Game

Extending Alexander Galloway’s analysis of the action-image in videogames, this essay explores th... more Extending Alexander Galloway’s analysis of the action-image in videogames, this essay explores the concept in relation to its source: the analysis of cinema by the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. The applicability of the concept to videogames will, therefore, be considered through a comparison between the First Person Shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Andrey Tarkovsky’s film Stalker. This analysis will compellingly explore the nature of videogame-action, its relation to player-perceptions and its location within the machinic and ludic schema.

DIGAREC Lectures 2008/09: Vorträge am Zentrum für Computerspielforschung mit Wissenschaftsforum der Deutschen Gamestage; Quo Vadis 2008 und 2009

nbn-resolving.de, 2009

Mit Beiträgen von Oliver Castendyk (Erich Pommer Institut), Stephan Günzel mit Michael Liebe und ... more

There is no magic circle: on the difference between computer games and traditional games

opus.kobv.de

Sachsen, Mit Allerhöchster Genehmigung Seiner Majestät des Königs hat die auf die Zeit vom 1. Apr... more

Logic and structure of the computer game

years, the research community can already look back on an increasing number of conferences, volum... more years, the research community can already look back on an increasing number of conferences, volumes, research projects, and a lot of comparisons between digital games and cinema, literature, theatre, and arts-nearly every artistic practice was taken into account. Within this period, one can look back not only on the (by now almost classic) controversy between ludology and narratology, but also on several other approaches, for instance the discussion about the character of action and interaction, ethics in computer games, and the interrelationship between games and violence, the social impact of digital games. More recently, the interconnection between space and the visual or the role of the first person perspective, as it was discussed in analytical philosophy, and the question of the dispositive or empowerment, to name but a few, have been topics of discussion.. Some consequences may be drawn from this: Firstly, computer games are a complex issue which has to be analyzed from an interdisciplinary angle. This is why DIGAREC started with a combination of different fields, including Media Studies, Psychology, Law, Art Processes, Design, Computer Science, and others. Secondly, the research of computer games leads not only to insights pertaining to The contribution of Daniel Cermak-Sassenrath (University of Bremen) proposes play as another possible perspective on communication, simulation, interactive narrative and ubiquitous computing in human-computer interaction. In "The Logic of Play in Everyday Human-Computer Interaction", he analyzes how everyday use of the computer increasingly show signs of similarity to play. This is discussed in respect to the playful character of interaction with the computer that has always been part of the exploratory learning process involved with new software and the often creative tasks that are undertaken when using the computer. These observations point to a sense of security, autonomy and freedom for the user which produce play and are, in turn, produced by play. This notion of play refers not to the playing of computer games, but to an implicit, abstract (or symbolic) process that is based on a certain attitude, the play spirit. scribed as a variation of the movement-image. Jochen Venus (University of Siegen) ascertains the characteristics of the representational function of computer games by contrasting them phenomenologically with conventional games on the one hand and cinematic depictions on the other. "Simulation of Selfaction. On the Morphology of Remote-Controlled Role Playing" shows that computer games a) separate the player from the playing field, and b) translate bodily felt concrete actions into situational abstract cinematic depictions. These features add up to the situational abstract presentation of self action experience. Computer games establish an 'artificial sameness' of self action experiences and allow the direct communication of styles of acting. They reveal a potential as a new means of shared cognition which might unfold in the 21 st century and change the being-in-the-world in a similar way as cinematic depiction did in the 20 th century.

Conference Proceedings of The Philosophy of Computer Games 2008

For the Reggio Emilia conference, submitted abstracts were selected for presentations focused on ... more For the Reggio Emilia conference, submitted abstracts were selected for presentations focused on three main thematic categories: the ontology of computer game objects, player experience, and the ethics of computer games. During the conference, one full day was dedicated to presentation and discussion of papers on different aspects of one of these three themes. After each presentation, abundant time was set apart for what turned out to be very lively and engaged discussions. On the website of the conference (http://game. Coppock hope, act as a valuable stimulus to researchers in this new field of studies to seek excellence in informed dialog with their peers, many of whom are, as one might expect, quite young researchers at the very beginning of their careers. As a professional semiotician, living and working in Italy for the last or so ten years, I find the field of philosophy of computer games a fascinating and challenging one. Italy is, of course, also the home of one of the probably most internationally well-known and acclaimed semioticians, Umberto Eco, who in his introduction to his treatise Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language from 1984, defines general semiotics as a "good" philosophy of language, i.e. a philosophy of language-such as Plato's Cratylus and Wittgenstein's language games-that concerns itself not only with languages per se, but also with understanding the systematicity and mechanics of any of the possible ways and means (verbal, written, gestural, visual, etc.) by which human beings are able to make, exchange, and transform meanings that regard ourselves, one another, and the world we live in. According to Eco, one of the probably most intriguing, and simultaneously most irritating, aspects of philosophical discourse is, that it cannot be used to carry out empirical research programs as in the natural sciences. The claims and speculations philosophers make about being, the world, meaning, life, ourselves and the others, culture and so on, can not be empirically tested and confirmed, experimentally or otherwise. Indeed, the "empirical" data philosophers work with is substantially specialized concepts that necessarily must be posited, manipulated, and evaluated within their own precisely defined and explicated philosophical frameworks, in order to be seen to make sense. If such concepts are spuriously employed outside of their specific philosophical frameworks they cannot be said, or be seen by others, to have any kind of intrinsic or other coherence. However, the particular strength of taking a philosophical approach to the study of cultural meaning-making processes in general-and in particular

Berlin: Women in Tech

Vor dem Spiel ist in dem Spiel. Computerspiel-Kunst zwischen Apparat und Aktion

Kritische Berichte Zeitschrift Fur Kunst Und Kulturwissenschaften, Jan 16, 2015

Video Games Around the World, 2015

Interactivity and Music in Computer Games

Music and Game, 2012

Der Computerspiei-Avatar als Spielform des Selbst (?)

Das Spiel zwischen Subjektivität, Kunst und Alltagspraxis, 2012

DIGAREC Keynote-Lectures 2009/10

In the winter semester 2009/2010, the Digital Game Research Center of the University of Potsdam w... more In the winter semester 2009/2010, the Digital Game Research Center of the University of Potsdam was able to hold the DIGAREC-Keynote Lectures for the first time. It followed a lecture series held in 2008/09, in which the members of the center introduced their research projects, spanning the fields of design, law, information science, psychology, and media studies. Together with the presentations of the 'scientific forum'at the German Game Days 2008 and 2009 in Berlin, the respective papers are published in the second Volume of the ...

Die Dispositive des Computerspiels

Perspektiven des Computerspiels, 2008