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Literature Theory and How It Explains the Video Game Industry Mikolaj Dymek Dept

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Literature Theory and How It Explains the Video Game Industry Mikolaj Dymek Dept Exporting Wars: Literature Theory and How It Explains the Video Game Industry Mikolaj Dymek Dept. of Industrial Economics and Management Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden [email protected] ABSTRACT In the case of cultural industries studies hitherto much The video game industry is the combination of two worlds: research have been focused on traditional media industries technology (IT) and show-biz/media/cultural industries. (such as cinema, music, books, newspapers), performing This paper explores this tension by exposing the arts (e.g. opera houses, symphony orchestras, dance shortcomings of the culture economics perspective and its companies, musicals) and fine arts (e.g. painters, sculptors) lack of understanding for the unique characteristics of the and has given scarce attention to the tremendously video game medium, thus subsequently proposing a deeper expanding game industry. In Caves’ book Creative analysis of the medium by turning to literary theoretical Industries - Contracts between art and commerce [11] an perspectives on games, such as ludology and narratology. analytical framework is presented, which defines the Due the lack of technological dimensions in its theoretical economic characteristics of cultural industries. This paper framework, narratology is deemed less fruitful as an will apply and examine this perspective on the game analytical tool and ludology is preferred. Ludology, with industry, and also further analyse to what extent this Espen Aarseth’s cybertext theory elucidates aspects of framework can describe critical features of the game “interactivity”, author-medium-reader power relations and industry. It will be argued that the cultural industries the mechanical organization of textual machines, which perspective provides valuable insights regarding the provides perspectives on practice in the video game economic dynamics of the game industry, but is, due to its industry. foundations in neoclassical economics, incapable of taking into account a medium’s unique characteristics and its Author Keywords influence on the industrial dynamics of the medium’s Video game industry, cultural industries, culture economics, respective cultural industry. This is particularly evident in ludology, narratology the case of video games, where the interactive dimension provides revolutionary exclusive features, previously INTRODUCTION unavailable through any other medium, but is omitted in the This paper explores the intersection between organization cultural industries perspective. studies, technology, literature theory, cultural industries and the video game industry. The paper aims to demonstrate Simultaneously, the “IT perspective” on video games how the analysis of the internal structure of a medium can presents an exaggerated focus on the technological aspects provide a more rewarding understanding of certain aspects of the video game industry, consequently overlooking, in of the video game industry. This paper proposes a novel broad terms, the “creative” and “cultural” aspects of the approach of viewing video games as a new form of cultural medium and its influence on the industry. Numerous industry strongly characterised by the unique emergent examples of “games design” literature propose a plethora of dimensions afforded by video games. approaches [6, 44, 45] of how to understand and create new games. These perspectives in various degrees elucidate the The video game industry incorporates numerous uniqueness of the game medium and the technological perspectives regarding the core of its activity, i.e. the video challenges associated with the creation of this medium, but game. It has historically been perceived mainly as an seem to lack any elaborate theoretical views on how to electronic toy, but currently two dominating perspectives bridge these perspectives with aspects of business, media, permeate the industry: games as IT products, and games as commerce, organization and “culture” (in a cultural “show-biz”/cultural industry products. While these industries sense). perspectives provide interesting insights into the game industry as such, it does not give satisfactory accounts of its An attempt to problematise this “bridging” of these two internal dynamics. dominating discourses in the game industry will be elaborated in this paper. A departure point for this attempt is the emergent property of video games, which helps Situated Play, Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference © 2007 Authors & Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). Personal and educational classroom use of this paper is allowed, commercial use requires specific permission from the author. 664 establishing a definition of what actually a video game is, in and some sporadic contributions from various fields such as terms of relationship between author, reader, text and human resource management [8], knowledge management machine. The analysis then turn to literature theories in [48], strategic management [43] and project management game studies to find answers of how to develop this [20]. synthesis. In general there is a diversified and fragmented community The linking perspective will provide a missing, and of business and management related video game researchers, previously unexplored, element in the fields of game with results occasionally presented in a plethora of journals, research and game industry studies. conferences, books and web forums from a wide spectrum of academic perspectives. Hopefully it is only a matter of BRIDGING SITUATEDNESS OF THEORIES time and question of reaching a critical mass of research In his, within the field of game studies, seminal work before academic game industry researchers will create Cybertext – Perspectives on Ergodic Literature Aarseth [2] forums and theoretical dialogue in a more unified fashion. warns against colonising practices within academia and theory development in general. He opposes how literature The loadstar for this study is to bridge theories. In the theory is encroaching on unexplored fields: aforementioned quote by Aarseth, he claims that when invading foreign ground one should learn the native Theories of literature have a powerful ability to co-opt new language and customs. This metaphor for “colonization” fields and fill theoretical vacuums, and in such a process of will be applied as a guiding principle, as it is the firm belief colonization, where the “virgin territory” lacks theoretical of this study that exploring, combining and bridging defense, important perspectives and insights might be lost theories provides new insights and innovating perspectives. or at least overlooked. When we invade foreign ground, the least we can do is to try to learn the native language and CULTURAL INDUSTRIES study the local customs. Although several studies have Q: How does the industry perceive games? already been carried out within most of these subfields, A: […] Personally I view games as an entertainment almost none have produced over-arching, or universal, product. To make something that people will enjoy and be perspectives or engaged in a comparative analysis of all the happy about. I see it as a competitor to books, films and forms of textuality examined here. [2] CDs. In today’s economy competitors can also be friends These quotes witness how strongly Aarseth opposes the and that’s why games are based on movies, and movies practice of eclipsing new phenomena by existing dominant based on games etc. Make books out of games too. Because theoretical frameworks. However, despite these abundant it all comes together. But personally I see it as warnings provided by Aarseth this paper attempts to do entertainment. exactly what he is questioning: export theories into an Former game developer executive and game industry unexplored field. The “colonizing” theories will consist of consultant. (Author’s translation) literature theories concerning video games including * * * Aarseth’s own theories, and the “virgin territories” represented by business and management theories of the Q: OK, if I put it like this, compare the [game] industry to video game industry. Unintentionally this becomes a another similar industry? somewhat ironic inversion of Aarseth’s initial situation – A: In that case, it’s film. You have to develop a concept, you theories intended to defend a field from colonizing forces have to bet on the project, you have to bet a lot. And then … suddenly find themselves on the opposite side of the if you bet on the project you have a high upside at the same practice becoming theories exported into a unexplored field. time, as there is a high risk. You have to know what you are However, there are several reasons to attempt such a project. betting on. The primary reason is that there has been surprisingly little Vice President and CFO of major Swedish game developer research performed in the field of business and management (Author’s translation) aspects of the video game industry. The video game * * * industry is a young industry, and even younger still is the nascent field of game studies. The field of game studies has Q: How do you perceive games? As an economic primarily focused on issues of technology [14, 45], phenomenon? Within the industry? literature theory [among others 2, 18, 35, 38], sociology [29, 41], psychology [5, 22, 23, 27, 31], pedagogics [4, 21] and A: I believe that games have a very bright future ahead. some (limited) business and economy research. Broadly Film, TV, music and books have sort of been the dominating understood, the field of business,
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