Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University Of Technology, Philosophy Of Science And

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, Philosophy of Science and History of Science Doctoral School

arising need: a wave of claims on relevant blogs: deleted Wikipedia articles - http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2009/QBlog050109A.html - http://www.brokentoys.org/2009/01/05/wikicrap/ - http://www.raphkoster.com/2009/01/05/losing-mud-history/ : Curiously, I am used as a reference or citation many times in Wikipedia, yet I suspect my writings would not meet Wikipedia’s guidelines. The challenge here is creating material that does — with so much existing only as oral history or as community-driven sites, little will qualify to be in Wikipedia, with the result that the history is often lost.

academic AND public needs Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

Changing accessibility of primary sources, first-hand playing experience - disappearing worlds: 

e.g.: Tabula Rasa, Shadowbane, The Matrix Online, etc.

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+ no virtual worlds museum: Get the game, set up a server, etc. same problem: earlier versions of running MMOs Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]



“ludology”: 1999, Gonzalo Frasca:

“to describe a yet non-existent discipline that would focus on the study of games in general and videogames in particular” Gonzalo Frasca: Ludologists love stories, too: notes from a debate that never took place, Digital Games Research Conference 2003 Proceedings, accessed at http://www.ludology.org/articles/Frasca_LevelUp2003.pdf February 12, 2009 

mock-debate: “Game-Research’s second definition is essentially different: »Ludology is most often defined as the study of game structure (or gameplay) as opposed to the study of games as narratives or games as a visual medium. «”

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In reality: narratives as important elements of games, narratology is not the exclusive methodological framework

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]



interactivity:

of games

Interactivity in the reception of traditional media Jesper Juul: “The reader does not influence the text as text…” (Jesper Juul: A clash between game and narrative English version accessed at http://www.jesperjuul.net/thesis/ February 12, 2009)

the player does influence the game as a game, the game as a game-text (term = the texture of a complex communicative entity, visual audio and other signs, etc.):

the interpretation of a game by a player infiltrates into the game-text by his actions, Espen Aarseth: analysis practiced as performance

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

 

gameplay mechanics, idiosyncratic elements of games analysis of the player experience -> effects how the gameplay mechanics work: receptionist direct observation of the primary sources becomes crucial

Methodological question: is it sound to examine the past through the lenses of the present? parallel to art or literary history: primary + secondary sources for the historical context

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

Same data, but the selection and interpretation of data differs 

An example: the birth of MUDs: - a more traditional historiography: problem of parallel inventions, the circumstances of inventions

(Steven L. Kent: The Ultimate History of Video Games)

- a ludologic historiography: e.g. - the proof of a desire for using new technologies for playing together with other players, and its realization - specific player communities in early MUDS and their effect on gameplay mechanics Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

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Direct observation: to the observation of a playing individual, but to play the game

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Problem of accessibility: running games Problem of subjectivity Problems of reconstruction of the past context

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]



Problems: Reconstruction of the past context:

Reflecting changing expectations: -

changing expectations different hardware, network: getting the program run, the problem of ported versions - interface: MUDs: e.g. buttons and icons, visualized maps

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]



Problems: Reconstruction of the past context:

Changing games: - old features removed, new features added (e.g. Federation: RMT) - drastic changes in the number of users - services change: e.g. support, Game Masters - out of game-text elements: internet guides, forum discussions, etc. - bugs and errors come and go through patches and different versions Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

 Non-play*

or secondary sources:

(* term originated by Espen Aarseth: Playing Research: Methodological approaches to game analysis, Melbourne DAC2003 accessed at http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/Aarseth.pdf February 12, 2009)

Observation of others playing: non-verbal elements, but no mental interpretations Official game documentation, website and game design document: aim of the designers Sources of player experience: player reports, interviews, fan sites and guild websites, blog posts, forum discussions, guides, etc.: have to deal with player subjectivity

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]



Cannot be applied mechanically to the entirety of game historiography

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where the ludologic viewpoint can be fruitful, it can provide a framework and guidline

Szonja Odrovics, Budapest University of Technology, [email protected]

Thank you!

Budapest University of Technology, Philosophy of Science and History of Science Doctoral School