Papers by Tero Pasanen
Täydentyvä ja avoin tietoaineisto suomalaisissa tietokonelehdissä ja yleisteknisissä aikakauslehd... more Täydentyvä ja avoin tietoaineisto suomalaisissa tietokonelehdissä ja yleisteknisissä aikakauslehdissä julkaistuista ohjelma- ja pelilistauksista. Lähteinä C-lehti, Elektroniikka / Elektroniikka & Automaatio, Micropost, MikroBitti, Poke & Peek!, Printti, Prosessori, Tekniikan Maailma, Tietokone, Tieturi ja Vikki. Lisätietoja kaivataan erityisesti harrastelehdissä julkaistuista ohjelmalistauksista.
Temenos 57:2, 181-207, 2021
This article focuses on a Spiritism board, Yhteyslauta, designed in the mid-1970s by occultist ne... more This article focuses on a Spiritism board, Yhteyslauta, designed in the mid-1970s by occultist neo-Nazi Pekka Siitoin. The board represents an unexplored occult subchapter of Finnish gaming culture and exhibits the Finnish esoteric tradition. In addition to analysing Yhteyslauta's game-like elements, the article explores the board's themes and imagery, and situates these components in the context of Siitoin's vernacular esoteric doctrine and cosmogony.
Media & viestintä 44:1, 2021
Artikkeli tarkastelee Remedyn pelijulkaisujen käsittelyä sanoma- ja pelilehdissä vuosina 1997–201... more Artikkeli tarkastelee Remedyn pelijulkaisujen käsittelyä sanoma- ja pelilehdissä vuosina 1997–2019. Analyysin kohteena ovat yhtiön Death Rally, Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break ja Control -pelit. Käymme läpi, miten lehtikirjoittelussa käytetyillä mediakehyksillä on rakennettu Remedyn menestystarinaa osana suomalaisen peliteollisuuden kehitystä. Kiinnitämme huomiota näiden rakenteiden kulttuuriseen jatkumoon eli siihen, miten kyseiset mediakehykset ovat muuttuneet kolmen vuosikymmenen aikana. Tarkastelemme myös, miten pelijournalismi määrittelee menestyksen, miten Remedyn yrityskuva on kehittynyt vuosien saatossa ja miten peliteollisuutta verrataan muihin kulttuuriteollisuuden aloihin.
This article examines the newspaper and game magazine reporting of Remedy’s game publications between 1997 and 2019. The focal point of the analysis is on Death Rally, Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control games. We will explore how various media frames have been utilised to build a narrative about Remedy’s success as a part of the development of the Finnish game industry. The article will also pay attention on the cultural continuum of these frames i.e., to the ways they have evolved during the three decades. Furthermore, we will scrutinise how game journalism articulates success, how Remedy’s corporate image has transformed over the years and how the game industry is compared to the other fields of cultural industry.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2020, 2020
Artikkelissa luodaan yleiskuva suomalaisissa tietokonelehdissä julkaistuista peliohjelmalistauksi... more Artikkelissa luodaan yleiskuva suomalaisissa tietokonelehdissä julkaistuista peliohjelmalistauksista julkaisutoiminnan alusta hiipumiseen. Artikkeli kartoittaa ohjelmalistausten julkaisemisen laajuutta ja vaihtelua, julkaisutoiminnan painopisteitä sekä pelilistausten tekijöitä. Artikkeli vastaa myös kysymykseen, miksi pelilistauksia tehtiin ja julkaistiin. Artikkelin noin 1300 ohjelmalistauksen ja yli 450 pelin aineisto on koottu 11 suomalaisesta tietokonelehdestä. Teoreettisesti artikkeli kytkeytyy pelihistorian ja tietokoneharrastamisen historian tutkimukseen ja kulttuuriseen ohjelmistotutkimukseen.
The article provides an overall picture on game code listings that has been published in Finnish computer magazines. The time frame encompasses the emergence, as well the eventual fading of their publication. The article maps how extensive of the publication of the code listings was, how the publications varied and who authored the listings. In addition, the article answers the question why the program listings were made and published. The research material consists of about 1300 program listings, over 450 of them games, from 11 Finnish computer magazines. From the theoretical point of view, the article situates itself to previous studies on game history, home computing history, as well as to cultural software studies.
Lähikuva 31(4), 2018
Amer-yhtymä teki lyhytkestoisen ekskursion pelialan julkaisutoimintaan vuosina 1984–1986. Sen per... more Amer-yhtymä teki lyhytkestoisen ekskursion pelialan julkaisutoimintaan vuosina 1984–1986. Sen perustama tytäryhtiö Amersoft oli ensimmäinen suomalainen yritys, joka pyrki laajamittaisesti julkaisemaan kotimaisia tietokonepelejä. Liiketoiminta osoittautui kuitenkin nopeasti kannattamattomaksi. Artikkelimme tarkoitus on syventää suomalaista pelihistorian tutkimusta käsittelemällä sittemmin valtavaksi kasvaneen digipeliteollisuuden hapuilevia kotimaisia varhaisvaiheita.
Kirjallisen tutkimusaineiston lisäksi lähteemme koostuvat Amersoftin entisten työntekijöiden haastatteluista. Kartoitamme ja analysoimme osatekijöitä, jotka johtivat epäonnistuneeseen yritykseen suomalaisen peliteollisuuden käynnistämiseksi 1980-luvun puolivälissä. Liiketoiminnan kannattamattomuus johtui pääasiallisesti kotimaisten pelimarkkinoiden pienuudesta, johdonmukaisen yritysstrategian puutteesta, laajalle levinneestä ohjelmistopiratismista, ulkomaisten pelien maahantuonnista, aineettoman pääoman puutteesta sekä julkaistujen pelien puutteellisesta laadusta.
Abstract: A Failed Attempt to Launch Finnish Digital Game Industry: Amersoft 1984–1986
The Finnish conglomerate Amer Group made a short-term excursion into computer game publication business in 1984–1986 by founding Amersoft. The subsidiary was the first Finnish company that aimed to produce and publish domestic computer games. However, the business proved to be unprofitable quite quickly. The objective of this article is to delve into the precarious initial steps of Finnish game industry.
In addition to the literary research material, our sources consist of interviews of former Amersoft employees. We will examine, explicate, and analyse factors that led to the failed launch of Finnish game industry in the mid-1980s. These multifaceted constituents comprised primarily of the small size of domestic game markets, lack of coherent corporate strategy, importation of foreign games, all-encompassing software piracy, absence of intellectual capital, and low quality of game design.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja, 2018
My lectio praecursoria in Finnish.
Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities, Sep 2, 2017
Throughout the history of Western popular culture, new emerging forms of media have been perceiv... more Throughout the history of Western popular culture, new emerging forms of media have been perceived as threats to social norms, societal order and moral foundations. The present compilation dissertation situates the medium of digital games into this centuries-old continuum. This study contents that controversies and moral panics that originate from the aforementioned concerns should be perceived as cultural rites of passage for new media, which indicate their transition from one state into another, from periphery into mainstream.
This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units, which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence, crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture.
The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed
Ennen ja nyt: pelit ja historia, Jan 13, 2017
The medium of digital games employs numerous methods in creating a sense of historicity and an il... more The medium of digital games employs numerous methods in creating a sense of historicity and an illusion of historical experience. These schemes vary from realistic modelling and simulation to use of archive material and discursive practices. The present article examines different approaches in depicting World War II in massively multiplayer online games (MMO) War Thunder and Heroes & Generals. The two historical games represent different sub-genres, vehicle simulation games and first-person shooters, respectively. The sub-genres impose a host of cultural conventions that influence design choices and gameplay styles. These socially constructed traditions pose both challenges and opportunities in generating and maintaining historical accuracy.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2015, Dec 2015
Tässä kriittisessä analyysissä perehdytään selviytymiskauhupeli DayZ:n sosiaalisiin käytäntöihin,... more Tässä kriittisessä analyysissä perehdytään selviytymiskauhupeli DayZ:n sosiaalisiin käytäntöihin, jotka suosivat negatiivista vapautta ja luovat odotuksia pelaajien käytöksestä. Näiden käytäntöjen yleinen omaksuminen on tehnyt ennaltaehkäisevästä väkivallasta vallitsevan pelitavan. Artikkeli kartoittaa peliteknisiä, sosiaalisia ja kulttuurisia osatekijöitä, jotka mahdollistavat tämän epäsosiaalisen toimintamallin. Tätä keskustelua peilataan myös pelietiikan teoriaan.
Player is Wolf to Player: A Critical Analysis of Prevalent Gameplay Convention in DayZ.
The present critical analysis examines social practises that favour negative freedom and create expectations about player behaviour in the survivor horror game DayZ. The assimilation of these practices has made pre-emptive use of violence a prevalent gameplay convention. The article explicates game design, social and cultural elements that enable this asocial approach. This discussion is also reflected on theories of game ethics.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2014, Dec 11, 2014
Väkivalta on pelikohujen arkkityyppi. Pelien sisältämän väkivallan aiheuttama sosiaalinen huoli o... more Väkivalta on pelikohujen arkkityyppi. Pelien sisältämän väkivallan aiheuttama sosiaalinen huoli on ollut keskeisessä roolissa pelien yhteiskunnallisen aseman kehittymisessä. Huolen aiheuttamat kohut ja moraalipaniikit voidaankin nähdä
digitaalisten pelien aikuistumisriittinä. Tässä artikkelissa perehdytään viiteen pelikohuteemaan, joiden ytimessä on väkivalta. Näihin teemoihin perehdytään historiallisten ennakkotapausten kautta, jotka ovat tehneet aihepiireistä läpinäkyviä tai muuttaneet ne tabuiksi.
Violence is an archetype of game controversies. The social concerns that stem from game violence have shaped the societal status of digital games. Game-related controversies and moral panics can be perceived as rites of passage for the medium. The present article examines five game controversy themes, united by violence. These motifs will be explored through historic precedents that made them transparent or
transformed them into taboos.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2013, Nov 12, 2013
Julkisessa sanassa digitaalisia pelejä käsitellään varsin usein väkivallan kontekstissa. Tässä ar... more Julkisessa sanassa digitaalisia pelejä käsitellään varsin usein väkivallan kontekstissa. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan diskurssianalyyttisesti suomalaisessa verkkomediassa käytyä julkista keskustelua pelien ja väkivallan yhteydestä. Aineiston hallitseviksi teemoiksi osoittautuivat joukkosurmia, aggressiivisuutta ja väkivaltaista käytöstä sekä valvontaa ja vastuuta korostavat diskurssielementit. Vaikka aiheen rajaus väkivaltaisiin peleihin nostikin lukumääräisesti esiin enemmän kielteisiä kuin myönteisiä näkökulmia, oli keskustelussa ilmenevien mielipiteiden kirjo yllättävän runsas.
In media, digital games are quite often discussed in the context of violence. The present article employs a discourse analytical approach in examining public discussion in the Finnish online media concerning the relationship between games and violence. Discourse elements foregrounding mass murder, aggressiveness/aggression and control/responsibility stood out as dominant themes from the research material. As expected, limiting the focus of the article to violent digital games manifested in a prevalence of adverse perspectives. However the spectrum of varying opinions was surprisingly ample, also including neutral and favourable viewpoints.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2011
Artikkeli käsittelee Suomen ensimmäistä poliittisesti latautunutta tietokonepelikohua, joka sytty... more Artikkeli käsittelee Suomen ensimmäistä poliittisesti latautunutta tietokonepelikohua, joka syttyi helmikuussa vuonna 1985 MikroBitissä julkaistusta Raid over Moscow’n peliarvostelusta. Arvostelua seurannut julkinen kritiikki laukaisi tapahtumaketjun, joka kärjistyi eduskuntakyselyn kautta Neuvostoliiton epäviralliseen vetoomukseen pelin markkinoinnin ja myynnin estämiseksi ja lopulta diplomaattiseen protestiin neuvostovastaisesta aineistosta Suomen tiedotusvälineissä. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan pelikohun syntyyn ja ratkaisuun vaikuttaneita poliittisia, oikeudellisia sekä kulttuurisia osatekijöitä. Artikkeli perustuu sarjaan Suomen ulkoasiainministeriön muistioita, jotka käsittelevät Neuvostoliiton vetoomusta ja sitä seurannutta protestia. Muistioiden 25 vuoden salassapitoaika umpeutui julkisuuslain perusteella vuonna 2010.
The present article examines the first politically saturated computer and videogame controversy in Finland, instigated by a game review of Raid over Moscow, published in MikroBitti magazine in February 1985. The public criticism that followed the review triggered a chain of events that started with a written parliamentary question, continued by an unofficial petition from the Soviet Union to restrict the marketing and sales of the game, and ended with a diplomatic protest towards anti-Soviet material and publications in Finnish media. The article focuses on political,
juridical and cultural factors that contributed to the emergence and conclusion of the controversy. The article is based on a series of declassified Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs documents that dealt the Soviet petition and the protest following
it. The documents became open to public in 2010, after their 25 year confidentiality period expired under the freedom of information legislation.
In recent years the U.S. Army has struggled in attracting high potential prospects into the servi... more In recent years the U.S. Army has struggled in attracting high potential prospects into the service. These difficulties have forced the Army to widen its horizons when it comes to strategic communication and recruiting initiatives. In 2000 the MOVES institute, aligning its research directions according to 1997 National Research Institute report, started to develop a free Internet-deployed first-person shooter game, America´s Army (AA). The impetus behind the overall game project, the Army Game Project (AGP), was to convey awareness about the armed service and reshape the negative perceptions produced by other media sources. This rationale also introduced the concept of serious games into the official U.S. Army game.
Conference Presentations by Tero Pasanen
In his seminal work on social contract theory, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the anarchic pr... more In his seminal work on social contract theory, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the anarchic pre-societal condition of the state of nature. In this predicament – aptly named as “the war of all against all” – people lived poor, short and brutish lives. The dystopian world simulated in the survival horror game DayZ mirrors this natural state of man. The game invites players to roleplay survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The present paper examines the factors contributing to pervasive violence, moral ambiguity and degeneration of human condition, which are prominent features of DayZ’s gameplay. The article will situate DayZ into the context of Hobbesian state of nature and explicate elements that render this hypothetical condition perpetual.
The present paper examines the first politically motivated computer game controversy in Finland t... more The present paper examines the first politically motivated computer game controversy in Finland that followed the release of Raid over Moscow (1984), and its subsequent review, published in the MikroBitti magazine in February 1985. The game’s open anti-Sovietism and certain expressions in the review trespassed on the most notable taboo in the Cold War era Finland, and thus, the case quickly gained both interest and notoriety in the Finnish media. The events took a political turn when a leftist MP proposed a written parliamentary question concerning the distribution of the game. It triggered a chain of events that started with an unofficial Soviet entreaty to restrict the marketing and sales of the game, culminating into a diplomatic protest about recurrent anti-Soviet expressions and material presented in the Finnish media. The Soviet officials considered Raid over Moscow as war propaganda that advocated a space war against the USSR and the review as an intentional provocation that harmed the Finno-Soviet relations. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) conducted a series of enquiries, but outdated legislation concerning preliminary inspection of computer games prevented the ban. The paper is based on a series of declassified MFA documents that handle the unofficial, political course of the controversy. The documents became open to public in 2010, after their 25 year confidentiality period expired under the freedom of information legislation. The Raid over Moscow controversy was genuinely a Finnish phenomenon. Finland’s geopolitical location, its special status between the Cold War blocks, and the erstwhile tensions between the superpowers makes the case unique in the history of popular culture.
Book Chapters by Tero Pasanen
Mapping the Digital: Cultures and Territories of Play. Edited by Lindsey Joyce & Brian Quinn, 31-40. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, 2016., Jun 2016
In his seminal work on social contract theory, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the anarchic pr... more In his seminal work on social contract theory, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the anarchic pre-societal condition of the state of nature. In this predicament – aptly named as “the war of all against all” – people lived poor, short and brutish lives. The dystopian world simulated in the survival horror game DayZ mirrors this natural state of man. The game invites players to roleplay survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The present paper examines the factors contributing to pervasive violence, moral ambiguity and degeneration of human condition, which are prominent features of DayZ’s gameplay. The article will situate DayZ into the context of Hobbesian state of nature and explicate elements that render this hypothetical condition perpetual.
Engaging with Videogames: Play, Theory and Practice. Edited by Dawn Stobbart & Monica Evans, 121-131. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, 2014
Miscellaneous by Tero Pasanen
DiGRA, 2019
An extented abstract to DiGRA 2019 conference.
A talk given at the Conference on Preventing Violent Radicalisation: Looking to the Future (EU201... more A talk given at the Conference on Preventing Violent Radicalisation: Looking to the Future (EU2019.FI), 18.9.2019, Helsinki.
A blog post published in Mediakohu (12.9.2017).
Uploads
Papers by Tero Pasanen
This article examines the newspaper and game magazine reporting of Remedy’s game publications between 1997 and 2019. The focal point of the analysis is on Death Rally, Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control games. We will explore how various media frames have been utilised to build a narrative about Remedy’s success as a part of the development of the Finnish game industry. The article will also pay attention on the cultural continuum of these frames i.e., to the ways they have evolved during the three decades. Furthermore, we will scrutinise how game journalism articulates success, how Remedy’s corporate image has transformed over the years and how the game industry is compared to the other fields of cultural industry.
The article provides an overall picture on game code listings that has been published in Finnish computer magazines. The time frame encompasses the emergence, as well the eventual fading of their publication. The article maps how extensive of the publication of the code listings was, how the publications varied and who authored the listings. In addition, the article answers the question why the program listings were made and published. The research material consists of about 1300 program listings, over 450 of them games, from 11 Finnish computer magazines. From the theoretical point of view, the article situates itself to previous studies on game history, home computing history, as well as to cultural software studies.
Kirjallisen tutkimusaineiston lisäksi lähteemme koostuvat Amersoftin entisten työntekijöiden haastatteluista. Kartoitamme ja analysoimme osatekijöitä, jotka johtivat epäonnistuneeseen yritykseen suomalaisen peliteollisuuden käynnistämiseksi 1980-luvun puolivälissä. Liiketoiminnan kannattamattomuus johtui pääasiallisesti kotimaisten pelimarkkinoiden pienuudesta, johdonmukaisen yritysstrategian puutteesta, laajalle levinneestä ohjelmistopiratismista, ulkomaisten pelien maahantuonnista, aineettoman pääoman puutteesta sekä julkaistujen pelien puutteellisesta laadusta.
Abstract: A Failed Attempt to Launch Finnish Digital Game Industry: Amersoft 1984–1986
The Finnish conglomerate Amer Group made a short-term excursion into computer game publication business in 1984–1986 by founding Amersoft. The subsidiary was the first Finnish company that aimed to produce and publish domestic computer games. However, the business proved to be unprofitable quite quickly. The objective of this article is to delve into the precarious initial steps of Finnish game industry.
In addition to the literary research material, our sources consist of interviews of former Amersoft employees. We will examine, explicate, and analyse factors that led to the failed launch of Finnish game industry in the mid-1980s. These multifaceted constituents comprised primarily of the small size of domestic game markets, lack of coherent corporate strategy, importation of foreign games, all-encompassing software piracy, absence of intellectual capital, and low quality of game design.
This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units, which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence, crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture.
The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed
Player is Wolf to Player: A Critical Analysis of Prevalent Gameplay Convention in DayZ.
The present critical analysis examines social practises that favour negative freedom and create expectations about player behaviour in the survivor horror game DayZ. The assimilation of these practices has made pre-emptive use of violence a prevalent gameplay convention. The article explicates game design, social and cultural elements that enable this asocial approach. This discussion is also reflected on theories of game ethics.
digitaalisten pelien aikuistumisriittinä. Tässä artikkelissa perehdytään viiteen pelikohuteemaan, joiden ytimessä on väkivalta. Näihin teemoihin perehdytään historiallisten ennakkotapausten kautta, jotka ovat tehneet aihepiireistä läpinäkyviä tai muuttaneet ne tabuiksi.
Violence is an archetype of game controversies. The social concerns that stem from game violence have shaped the societal status of digital games. Game-related controversies and moral panics can be perceived as rites of passage for the medium. The present article examines five game controversy themes, united by violence. These motifs will be explored through historic precedents that made them transparent or
transformed them into taboos.
In media, digital games are quite often discussed in the context of violence. The present article employs a discourse analytical approach in examining public discussion in the Finnish online media concerning the relationship between games and violence. Discourse elements foregrounding mass murder, aggressiveness/aggression and control/responsibility stood out as dominant themes from the research material. As expected, limiting the focus of the article to violent digital games manifested in a prevalence of adverse perspectives. However the spectrum of varying opinions was surprisingly ample, also including neutral and favourable viewpoints.
The present article examines the first politically saturated computer and videogame controversy in Finland, instigated by a game review of Raid over Moscow, published in MikroBitti magazine in February 1985. The public criticism that followed the review triggered a chain of events that started with a written parliamentary question, continued by an unofficial petition from the Soviet Union to restrict the marketing and sales of the game, and ended with a diplomatic protest towards anti-Soviet material and publications in Finnish media. The article focuses on political,
juridical and cultural factors that contributed to the emergence and conclusion of the controversy. The article is based on a series of declassified Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs documents that dealt the Soviet petition and the protest following
it. The documents became open to public in 2010, after their 25 year confidentiality period expired under the freedom of information legislation.
Conference Presentations by Tero Pasanen
Book Chapters by Tero Pasanen
Miscellaneous by Tero Pasanen
This article examines the newspaper and game magazine reporting of Remedy’s game publications between 1997 and 2019. The focal point of the analysis is on Death Rally, Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control games. We will explore how various media frames have been utilised to build a narrative about Remedy’s success as a part of the development of the Finnish game industry. The article will also pay attention on the cultural continuum of these frames i.e., to the ways they have evolved during the three decades. Furthermore, we will scrutinise how game journalism articulates success, how Remedy’s corporate image has transformed over the years and how the game industry is compared to the other fields of cultural industry.
The article provides an overall picture on game code listings that has been published in Finnish computer magazines. The time frame encompasses the emergence, as well the eventual fading of their publication. The article maps how extensive of the publication of the code listings was, how the publications varied and who authored the listings. In addition, the article answers the question why the program listings were made and published. The research material consists of about 1300 program listings, over 450 of them games, from 11 Finnish computer magazines. From the theoretical point of view, the article situates itself to previous studies on game history, home computing history, as well as to cultural software studies.
Kirjallisen tutkimusaineiston lisäksi lähteemme koostuvat Amersoftin entisten työntekijöiden haastatteluista. Kartoitamme ja analysoimme osatekijöitä, jotka johtivat epäonnistuneeseen yritykseen suomalaisen peliteollisuuden käynnistämiseksi 1980-luvun puolivälissä. Liiketoiminnan kannattamattomuus johtui pääasiallisesti kotimaisten pelimarkkinoiden pienuudesta, johdonmukaisen yritysstrategian puutteesta, laajalle levinneestä ohjelmistopiratismista, ulkomaisten pelien maahantuonnista, aineettoman pääoman puutteesta sekä julkaistujen pelien puutteellisesta laadusta.
Abstract: A Failed Attempt to Launch Finnish Digital Game Industry: Amersoft 1984–1986
The Finnish conglomerate Amer Group made a short-term excursion into computer game publication business in 1984–1986 by founding Amersoft. The subsidiary was the first Finnish company that aimed to produce and publish domestic computer games. However, the business proved to be unprofitable quite quickly. The objective of this article is to delve into the precarious initial steps of Finnish game industry.
In addition to the literary research material, our sources consist of interviews of former Amersoft employees. We will examine, explicate, and analyse factors that led to the failed launch of Finnish game industry in the mid-1980s. These multifaceted constituents comprised primarily of the small size of domestic game markets, lack of coherent corporate strategy, importation of foreign games, all-encompassing software piracy, absence of intellectual capital, and low quality of game design.
This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units, which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence, crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture.
The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed
Player is Wolf to Player: A Critical Analysis of Prevalent Gameplay Convention in DayZ.
The present critical analysis examines social practises that favour negative freedom and create expectations about player behaviour in the survivor horror game DayZ. The assimilation of these practices has made pre-emptive use of violence a prevalent gameplay convention. The article explicates game design, social and cultural elements that enable this asocial approach. This discussion is also reflected on theories of game ethics.
digitaalisten pelien aikuistumisriittinä. Tässä artikkelissa perehdytään viiteen pelikohuteemaan, joiden ytimessä on väkivalta. Näihin teemoihin perehdytään historiallisten ennakkotapausten kautta, jotka ovat tehneet aihepiireistä läpinäkyviä tai muuttaneet ne tabuiksi.
Violence is an archetype of game controversies. The social concerns that stem from game violence have shaped the societal status of digital games. Game-related controversies and moral panics can be perceived as rites of passage for the medium. The present article examines five game controversy themes, united by violence. These motifs will be explored through historic precedents that made them transparent or
transformed them into taboos.
In media, digital games are quite often discussed in the context of violence. The present article employs a discourse analytical approach in examining public discussion in the Finnish online media concerning the relationship between games and violence. Discourse elements foregrounding mass murder, aggressiveness/aggression and control/responsibility stood out as dominant themes from the research material. As expected, limiting the focus of the article to violent digital games manifested in a prevalence of adverse perspectives. However the spectrum of varying opinions was surprisingly ample, also including neutral and favourable viewpoints.
The present article examines the first politically saturated computer and videogame controversy in Finland, instigated by a game review of Raid over Moscow, published in MikroBitti magazine in February 1985. The public criticism that followed the review triggered a chain of events that started with a written parliamentary question, continued by an unofficial petition from the Soviet Union to restrict the marketing and sales of the game, and ended with a diplomatic protest towards anti-Soviet material and publications in Finnish media. The article focuses on political,
juridical and cultural factors that contributed to the emergence and conclusion of the controversy. The article is based on a series of declassified Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs documents that dealt the Soviet petition and the protest following
it. The documents became open to public in 2010, after their 25 year confidentiality period expired under the freedom of information legislation.