The Rise of Game Studies Series

Welcome to Track 1: Game Studies!

Welcome to the first track of the Metagame book club, which will be held from July 15, 2014 to August 16, 2014! My name is Sherry Jones, the Game Studies facilitator and designer for this track. I have prepared for you a variety of academic books, articles, videos, podcasts, and more that address issues and theories in Game Studies. Specifically, social, cultural, and philosophical theories regarding the meaning of play and games will be explored during this 2014 summer session of the Metagame book club.

What Is Game Studies?

To entice you to join this reading track/adventure, I hereby offer you a brief and interesting definition of Game Studies:

The phrase, Game Studies, refers to the growing, interdisciplinary field of studying analog and digital games via various disciplinary lenses. Academic disciplines such as Computer Science, Literary Studies, Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Engineering, Political Science, Philosophy, History, Anthropology, Semiotics, Rhetoric, Religious Studies, Physics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Media Studies, UX Design, Game Design, and more are developing theories and methods, and even sub-disciplines, that focus on understanding the meanings and implications of the game phenomenon, and on exploring the issues raised by the mass proliferation of analog and digital games on a global scale. The interdisciplinary nature of Game Studies promotes a collaborative and critical examination of games through traditional as well as modern methods, and allows for interdisciplinary scholarship on games to flourish.

Although the phrase, “Game Studies,” contains the word, “Game,” it is not equivalent to the discipline of Game Design nor Game Theory, each is its own unique discipline. Game Studies is also not an epistemic method that applies game thinking to education, such as Game-Based Learning or Gamification. Rather, Game Studies is a field term that encompasses all disciplines and methods that focus on understanding games as part of its greater field.

What Readings Will Be Covered?

Given the immensity and complexity of the field of Game Studies, and given the 5 weeks time limit we can devote to this track, we will cover a small selection of Game Studies readings regarding theories on the meaning of play and games, written by scholars from various disciplines. I also recommend purchasing the book, The Meaning of Video Games: Gaming and Textual Strategies by Steven E. Jones, to participate in the upcoming Game Studies discussions:

In addition to Jones' book, I will provide you reading excerpts from several scholarly books regarding special topics in Game Studies, as well as a variety of open access materials that will accompany and enhance your reading experience. Please check back each week to discover new texts that we will be exploring. Consider this book club as an invitation to enter the field of Game Studies. To begin, see the playlist below to access the reading list and discussion times. I hope you will join us on this reading adventure. I look forward to engaging in thought provoking conversations with you on the big ideas about games.

Onward! ~

- Sherry Jones (Track 1: Game Studies Facilitator)