Two Schools: Narratology vs. Ludology

Welcome to Week 2 of Track 1: Game Studies reading club! In the previous week, we examined readings on the definitions of play, games, and the magic circle. This week, we are exploring readings about the famous Narratology vs. Ludology debate in Game Studies that centers on the meaning of games. The two schools of thought attempt to identify the essential features of games that help express a game's meaning. Narratologists argue that games are expressive due to their underlying narrative structures, and thus games can be interpreted like literary texts. On the other hand, Ludologists assert that a game's rules and mechanics alone express the game's meaning, and deny that games can be analyzed via literary methods. The interesting debate is far more complex than what this brief introduction can cover. Thus, I have assigned a few seminal texts to help us explore the debate in depth.

There are 6 main readings for this week (with some optional readings listed below the main readings). For the sake of clarity, I have organized the texts in a linear fashion, under subheadings, to be read in successive order. Enjoy!

-- Sherry Jones (Track 1: Game Studies Facilitator)

**This week's recorded live streaming video is published at the end of the page.

Main Readings

What is Narratology? What is Narrativism?

• [ARTICLE] Beyond Myth and Metaphor - The Case of Narrative in Digital Media by Marie-Laure Ryan

What is Ludology?

• [ARTICLE] Ludology Meets Narratology: Similitude and Differences between (Video)games and Narratives by Gonzalo Frasca

The Debates between Two Schools

• [ARTICLE] Games Telling Stories? - A Brief Note on Games and Narratives by Jesper Juul
• [ARTICLE] The Last Word on Ludology v Narratology (2005) by Janet H. Murray
• [SLIDES] The Last Word on Ludology v Narratology (2005) by Janet H. Murray
• [ARTICLE] Ludologists Love Stories, Too: Notes from a Debate that Never Took Place by Gonzalo Frasca

Optional Readings

• [ARTICLE] Adapting the Principles of Ludology to the Method of Video Game Content Analysis by Steven Malliet
• [ARTICLE] Narrative, Games, and Theory by Jan Simons

Recorded Live Streaming Videos (Review of This Week's Readings)

Published: July 29, 2014, 5:00-6:30pm MST.