Transcript Introduction to Game Studies: Games in Culture

Introduction to Game Studies:
Games in Culture
Chapter 4: Dual Structure and the
Action Games of the 1970s
© Frans Mäyrä & SAGE Publications
Multi-Layered Meaning Making
 Behind their digital surface, many games are
‘remediated’ versions of old games.
 Digital information technology adds a specific
layer of meaning to digital games.
 Each generation of digital games has been
visually different from the previous - they
demonstrate the powers of latest technology.
 Core gameplay is an embedded shell, which
extends beyond games’ graphics to the
significance of gaming hardware itself.
 This lesson involves playing two old games
online.
Games at the Forefront of Computing
 Representatives of the games industry have
emphasised the role of games in the evolution of
computing.
 Non-keyboard interfaces, immersive alternative
realities and anthropomorphic characters were
introduced by games (Bushnell, 1996).
 Games demonstrate how computer software can
be designed to be highly usable and enjoyable.
 According to this view, games lead the way into
an information society where most people are
‘computer literate’.
Game ‘Classics’
 The concept of ‘classic’ relates to a ‘standard of
excellence’, which is referred to in discussions
that compare, contextualise and make sense of
different (artistic) phenomena.
 ‘Canon’ refers to a body of ‘great works’ that a
civilised person is supposed to know.
 This textbook introduces a certain group of
‘classic games’ but many alternative ‘canons of
digital games’ can be created.
Three Decades of Digital Games
 The focus is on three decades: 1970s, 1980s
and 1990s.
 There is no agreement of the exact periods in
games’ historiography.
 The ‘golden age of video games’ can, in different
sources, refer to e.g. the years 1978–1981,
1978–1985, 1971–1983 or 1971–1984.
 The early period is generally seen as more
influential, original and important for game
development than the years from late-1980s
onwards.
Games in the Information Society
 Several thinkers have written about transition
into an ‘information society’, where the main
emphasis is on knowledge and information in
various forms.
 The instability of the games industry has
displayed the risks of an information economy.
 History includes the video game crash of 1977,
then 1983, and the ‘dot-com crash’ of 20002002.
 Despite this, the trend appears to be moving
towards ‘experience economy’ or ‘media
society’.
1970s: Learning the Lexicon
 The 1970s introduced the first video games,
both in arcades and into homes.
 1970s’ digital games can appear primitive by
modern standards.
 The earliest digital games relied on
experiences people had from other games.
 Growing gradually more complex, the early
games introduced players with the evolving
‘grammar and lexicon’ (sets of key
conventions) of gaming.
PONG (1972): Popular and Simple
Image credits: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pong.png
 Watch video of original arcade PONG gameplay:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LPkUvfL8T1I&NR=1
 Play a simple, single-player version of PONG:
http://www.corporatedump.com/oldpong.html
 More PONG remakes: http://www.pong-story.com/pcpong.htm
Secrets of PONG
 The core gameplay idea is already widely
familiar from tennis, squash and other similar,
physical games.
 Players know immediately what to do.
 The single, turn-knob controller is easy to
handle, but hard to master.
 The on-screen PONG paddle was divided into
eight segments, so that hitting the ball with the
edges would produce angle shots.
 As a two-player game against a real person as
an opponent, PONG would provide infinite
variety in its gameplay.
History of Gaming Devices
 The physical and electronic characteristics of
gaming devices matter considerably for most
gamers.
 The earliest digital games were often created
with ‘mainframe’ computers in research
laboratories and universities.
 Four main routes of mainstream game evolution:
arcade gaming consoles (‘arcade video games’)
home video game consoles (‘video games’)
home computers (‘computer games’)
handheld consoles (‘electronic games’).
Evolution of Controllers
 There have been many
kinds of special controllers
developed for digital play.
 Sometimes a good
controller has provided a
particular system with the
necessary competitive
edge.
Above Atari VSC/Atari 2600 (1977);
below, Nintendo Famicom/NES (1983)
Image credits: Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org
Shooter Game: Space Invaders (1978)
 Shooting galleries were popular
as fairground attractions.
 Different kinds of digital
‘shooters’ have become one of
the most popular kinds of action
games.
 Space Invaders by Japanese
Taito appeared as a “mixture
between pinball and a Marvel
comic”. (Sellers, 2001)
 Introduced ‘high score’ which
contributed to the social playability
of the game.
Image credits: The International Arcade Museum, www.klov.com;
The History of Computing Project, www.thocp.net
Play Space Invaders
 There are various Space Invaders clones
available for online play
 Test one of these:
http://robotubegames.com/play_game.php?gameid=28
(select ‘Play Invaders 1978’)
http://www.spaceinvaders.de/
 For original arcade game emulation issues, see:
http://www.ascotti.org/programming/side/side.ht
m and http://www.mame.net/
Establishing Game Genres
 Simultaneous navigation and shooting is a test
of accuracy and hand-eye coordination skills.
 This style of core gameplay was one of the
earliest conventions to become established in
digital games.
 Game genres were based on groups of
conventions related to e.g. interaction available
for the players and to the game screen elements
(the ‘interface’) and game controllers.
 Important for the grammar and syntax of digital
games (gameplay lexicon) to develop further.
Assignments
Alternative games history:
collect and document your own version of a
‘canon’ for the history of digital games.
Gameplay experience of a ‘classic game’:
what kind of gameplay experiences do so-called
‘classic games’ (early popular digital games)
provide for a modern player? Play a 1970s’ game
for at least two hours and provide a critical
account of your observations.