Computer Games and Literature

This article introduces the juxtaposed notions of liberal and neo-liberal gameplay in order to show that, while forms of contemporary game culture are heavily influenced by neo-liberalism, they often appear under a liberal disguise. The argument is grounded in Claus Pias’ idea of games as always a product of their time in terms of economic, political and cultural history. The article shows that romantic play theories (e.g. Schiller, Huizinga and Caillois) are circling around the notion of play as ‘free’, which emerged in parallel with the philosophy of liberalism and respective socio-economic developments such as the industrialization and the rise of the nation state. It shows further that contemporary discourse in computer game studies addresses computer game/play as if it still was the romantic form of play rooted in the paradigm of liberalism. The article holds that an account that acknowledges the neo-liberalist underpinnings of computer games is more suited to addressing contemporary computer games, among which are phenomena such as free to play games, which repeat the structures of a neo-liberal society. In those games the players invest time and effort in developing their skills, although their future value is mainly speculative – just like this is the case for citizens of neo-liberal societies.

In this paper I will discuss, by building on post-phenomenological philosophy of technology, existential ludology, and game studies, the conditions of possibility for discovery in computer games and present a sketch for a model of three 'levels of discovery' in computer games: discovery of that which we can do, of that which we need to do, and, of what we want to do.

La chair comme le papier ne sont pas nécessaires aux personnages de fiction. La seule chose qui nous soit vitale, c'est un espace d'habitation » 1 déclare la trinité auteure/narratrice/protagoniste de Corpus Simsi, en laissant entendre que la matérialité du support est, somme toute, accessoire. Le livre numérique n'est pourtant pas le moyen privilégié de Chloé Delaume, qui fonde sa production sur l'autofiction et l'expérimentation, mais qui est tout d'abord un auteur papier. Sa première contribution au numérique en tant qu'écrivain est une conférence sur l'autofiction (S'écrire mode d'emploi chez publie.net). En 2009, elle consacre un chapitre de Dans ma maison sous terre aux technologies censées bouleverser l'univers littéraire ; il s'agit de la section qui met en scène le suicide de son alter ego, Clotilde Mélisse, dont la tombe est dotée d'une borne de téléchargement permettant l'acquisition de toute sa production en format numérique. Le roman renvoie aux pistes audio disponibles en ligne, mais il se limite à présenter sur papier l'évolution future du monde éditorial (le suicide du personnage est daté 2069) sous le signe d'une « dématérialisation confondante » et sur un ton aigre-doux : surproduction, faillite des maisons indépendantes, naissance des maisons d'édition numérique ; par conséquent, « l'éditeur se focalise sur son rapport au texte ; le libraire redevient le conseiller privilégié du lecteur ». Comme le dit Clotilde, « le livre est mort, vive la littérature » 2 . Ce n'est qu'en 2015 que Delaume livre sa première fiction numérique, Alienare, un récit accompagné des animations de Frank Dion et des bandes-sons de Sophie Couronne, application pour Ipad et Iphone téléchargeable à la page www.alienare.fr ; une transfiction entre littérature et cinéma où texte, image et son participent activement à la narration d'un univers post-apocalyptique 3 . Il s'agit de la deuxième oeuvre uniquement numérique au Seuil, incarnant ce que l'écrivaine disait attendre : la possibilité d'une fusion entre systèmes sémiotiques différents, la création d'un objet littéraire complètement repensé ; d'après elle, le numérique permet « l'évolution des genres, le dépassement de certaines limites du roman, notamment » 4 . L'intérêt peut ainsi se concentrer sur le texte, hors de tout fétichisme de l'objet livre qui n'est pas la littérature, mais tout simplement une métonymie ; le livre traditionnel reste de toute façon relié à une notion de rituel et à des créations singulières, travaillées. Dans son roman de 2009, l'auteure parlait justement d'un marché parallèle des livresobjets devenus des « formes plus inventives » ; le numérique représente donc « un renouveau, pas une chute » 5 , une sorte de voie alternative.

With the recent and rapidly growing interest in digital games, it has become important to examine this claim in detail. In this paper, the authors will examine the dichotomy between modern digital games and the more traditional view of simulations, and what implications ...

Games on social media websites, especially Facebook, has been a vital source for assimilation of people from a diverse range of cultures and geographies into a single, unifying space. Farmville and YoWorld are arguably two of the few games that simulates a world where a player can explore a plethora of possibilities for their virtual avatars. However, a common mechanics is utilized even in these games where certain spaces and items are restricted for the avatar. These become 'available' when a player 'levels up' or 'unlocks' these by completing 'tasks' which are in form of 'timed events'. This paper is an exploration into the politics of spaces and items that are locked for the player to 'unlock', and their role in formation of an 'Infinite Narrative' that plays out in the game.

On a computer, all games are simulations, but
not all simulations are games.
With the recent and rapidly growing interest in
digital games, it has become important to examine this
claim in detail. In this paper, the authors will examine
the dichotomy between modern digital games and the
more traditional view of simulations, and what
implications this has for the development of both
‘pure’ simulations as well as games.

A comunicação "Miúda e o guarda-chuva:a metáfora em jogo" se debruça sobre a investigação do uso da linguagem metafórica em suporte digital destinada a crianças. Pretende-se analisar a criação dos documentos game design, a modelagem de cenários e personagens e aspectos relacionados à implementação dos jogos, diante da predominância do processo de analogia como formador de conceitos no desenvolvimento do pacote de jogos "Miúda e o guarda-chuva".

Computer games are a relatively young medium but one which has become increasingly accessible in recent decades. Within this category, the niche filled by Historical Grand Strategy Games, themselves descendants of board games, holds increasing influence over the public perception of history. These games, originating with the likes of Civilization, tend towards relatively deep representations of the periods and cultures they address and, as distinct from most other mediums, allow a great degree of interactivity. The user controls military, economic, social and diplomatic actions of his country, kingdom or empire within a “sandbox” non-linear simulation and this necessitates a different representation of history to that found in literature, films or even other types of computer game.
Grand Strategy Games have typically been somewhat weak in their coverage of the middle ages. As has been the case in other mediums, the period has often been eschewed in favour of the classical, renaissance or modern eras with little more than a cursory knight sandwiched between legionaries and musketeers. However, this balance has been redressed to a large extent in the new millennium. Games spanning the entirety of human history have placed greater emphasis on the Middle Ages and series such as Medieval: Total War and Crusader Kings have focused exclusively on the Middle Ages. The popularity of these games makes them of increasing importance to medievalism and to teachers of medieval history whose students have increasingly come into contact with this media.
This paper will address the changing representation of the medieval period within this genre. It will discuss the difficulties inherent in producing games of this sort with regards to the Middle Ages looking at how modern preconceptions on the part of both author and audience have dictated design decisions. It will consider the restrictions placed on these games by technology and research limitations as well as the unique nature of politics, warfare and society within the medieval period. It will address the demands for historical accuracy, which increasingly come from the audience rather than the author and how this impacts on the way these games play. Finally it will deal with the dichotomy between free will and predetermination within this medium, an issue which has gained prominence in recent years.