1. Game Analysis Methods for the understanding of games Miguel Sicart Computer Game Theory Spring 2005

2. Today’s problems, tomorrow’s solutions Is there a method for the game analysis? What do we mean by game analysis? How can we analyze games? Is there a game analysis? Game journalism, game research, game production

3. Is there a method for game analysis? Given the short story of game research, the obvious answer would be: No But we actually do find game analysis here and there: GameSpot, newspapers, gamestudies.org,... Do they have anything in common, these analysis? Can we imagine a methodology or a number of methodologies, for game analysis? But, what do we mean by “game analysis”?

4. Game Analysis: 3 needs Intuitively, Game Analysis is, well, the analysis of games. Its methodology depends on the target group: Academic Game Analysis Journalist Game Analysis Industry Game Analysis

5. Academic Game Analysis is the broader perspective on games, and the one that requires a tighter methodology, and extensive results Journalist Game Analysis depends very much on the market and the target group: GameSpot is not the same as Politiken, but they both play a role in games’ media ecology. Industrial Game Analysis needs clear, well grounded, and briefly exposed results. It is somehow a summary of the Academic Game Analysis for a very specific target group.

6. Today we will be talking about academic game analysis, and journalistic game analysis

7. “Ludology”, or the promise of a Game Analysis Methodology Ludology should be the study of games as such, or, better said: the study of games as a field of its own. But ludology is not a methodology, it is a focus. By merely saying that we are “ludologists”, we are not stating our method. For example: I am a philosopher, not a ludologist. But my work is inscribed in the broader perspective of ludology

8. Even for ludologists... are all game equal? So, what do you think of Myst? We can face the problems of boundaries: what are games, and where do we draw the line? The Sims vs. Microsoft Flight Simulator vs. Half-Life 2 To analyze games, we need to agree on what games are (and we now know that’s an easy question)

9. Games in Virtual Environments With gameplay, rules and a gameworld as components

10. Discipline and Focus Gameplay: sociology, ethnology, anthropology, psychology, pedagogics Rules: game design, economy, computer science/AI Game World: arts, aesthetics, history, cultural studies, law

11. That doesn’t help either: what is game methodology then? Is there an (academic) game analysis methodology? (once again, same old question)

12. An attempt for convergence: Lars Konzack 7 Layers of the Computer Game hardware code functionality gameplay meaning referentiality socio-culture “Each of this layers may be analysed individually, but an entire analysis of any computer game must be analysed from every angle”

13. Academics Game Critics Game Designers Players Socializers, Killers, Achievers, Explorers (Bartle) Newbies, Casual, Hardcore, Professional And their results are all different Who analyses what, and why?

14. Is this Game Analysis?

15. A Typology of Game Analysis Who Analyses Theorist, Critic, Developer, Player Newbie, Casual, Hardcore, Professional Socializer, Killer, Achiever, Explorer What GamePlay Rules GameWorld To Whom

16. Another Problematic Approach Provenzo (2001): It is particularly disturbing to note that Eric Harris, who along with Dylan Klebold was responsible for the Columbine High School shootings in April 1999, created his own customized game of Doom, which had two shooters, extra weapons, unlimited ammunition and victims who could not fight back. His modification of the game clearly model the key features of the Columbine shooting that he and Klebold carried out. Can we analyze games without playing them? Yes, if our research question does not call for gaming experience.

17. Humanistics methods- it is still possible to analyze games Formulate a question Choose your method Seek the theoretical grounds Establish hypothesis Corroborate hypothesis using different sources of information: Read Play Look at others playing Ask the players, the designers Analyze your results, take a deep breath, and Conclude

18. But there are some problems still... The research question/hypothesis, is it interesting? is it possible to answer? is it already answered? is it relevant? Is the theoretical background fit to answer the question? Should we play, or let others do the dirty job? And how does that decision affect our research? How should we play? (using walkthroughs, cheats,...)

19. What about Journalists? (let them speak now or shut up forever)

20. Exercise

21. Pick up a game Make a disposition for a possible academic analysis, or Make a disposition for a possible journalist analysis, or Make a disposition for an industry analysis. We’ll discuss the results next week.