CultureOutlineSlide 3Slide 4Many Relevant ContextsCulture paperCulture-before ICulture-before IICulture-after ICulture-after IICulture-surrounding ICulture-surrounding IIGame CultureExamplesCultural RhetoricHow is a game an argument?Transmission / ReceptionExample IExample IIRhetorics of playPlay as ProgressPlay as FatePlay as PowerPlay as IdentityPlay as the ImaginaryPlay as Rhetoric of the SelfPlay as FrivolityMultiple rhetorics at workConflicting RhetoricsGame charactersGenderMondayCultureRobin BurkeGAM 224OutlineAdminCultureCultural RhetoricCultureundefineable termGeertz"Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun...I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretative one in search of meaning"Culturefor our purposeseverything outside the magic circlewhat comes•before the game•after the game •surrounds the gamethe context of the gameMany Relevant Contextspopular culturethe images in gamesthe ties between games and movies, manga, etc.businessthe ways in which games are made and marketedthe ancillary businesses around games (magazines, retailers, etc.)fan-domthe ways that devotees invest energy and creativity into particular gamesthe communities that rise up around gamestechnologythe technical requirements of games and their effect on the evolution of computer systemsgenderthe way that male and female bodies and identities are rendered in gamesCulture paperDue 6/1Culture-before IDesigner borrows from the wider culturesignifiers•the red crossthemes•the hero taleimages•the witchsounds•fanfareThis background is (ideally) shared with the playerplayers from other cultures may need to learn some thingsCulture-before IIDesigner borrows from specific movies, books and/or gameslicenses / sequels•Knights of the Old Republic IIadaptation•Sly Cooper = Splinter Cell for kidsPlayer's expectations are shaped by references to other cultural artifactsCulture-after IDesigners may license game characters to other mediamovies•Lara CroftDesigners may let users build onto their gamesnew levels•UnrealEd and toolsnew content•Sims toolsCulture-after IIPlayers may organize communities around gamestrading tips, hacks, cheat codes, FAQ filestrading mods, player-created contentgroup playorganized competitionsCulture-surrounding IPlayers interpret the gameusing their individual knowledge and cultural backgroundPlayers play the gameusing techniques and expectations derived from other gamesusing expectations derived from real-world experiencesCulture-surrounding IIPlayers may play in a variety of environmentsarcade or Internet cafesolitarygroup settingpublic competitive settingGame CultureAny of these aspects are fair game for a cultural understanding of gamesDesigners can choose to ignore culturebut that doesn't mean they are free of itit just means they will be ignorant about itObserverscan use culture as an avenue to interpret a game's meaning, its "web of significance"can use the game as an avenue to interpret the culture that gives rise to it•but the "web of significance" is always tied to the larger culture in some wayExamplesCulture  Game  MeaningMarxismKatamari Damacycapitalist consumption gone madGame  Culture  MeaningMissile CommandCold war AmericaConcrete manifestation of the inevitability of nuclear destructionCultural RhetoricrhetoricThe art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.We meanthe way that a game contains an implicit argument for a set of cultural presuppositionsHow is a game an argument?Rulesthe rules reward certain actions and not others•implicitly valuing one choice over another•Example: KOTOR, Fablethe rules require the player to prevail in certain types of conflict•implying what types of conflict are important and how they can be resolved•Example: Civilization IIIPlaythe play of the game demands certain activities be performed•implicitly valuing one type of activity•Example: Kung-Fu chessthe game makes certain activities and events pleasurable•implying that certain things are or should be enjoyable•Example: Katamari DamacyTransmission / ReceptionThe presence of a particular cultural rhetoricmay indicate an explicit design choice by the designer•but not alwaysThe impact of a game on its playerscan indicate acceptance of its rhetoric by those players•but not alwaysExample IAsteroids"Space: The Final Frontier"To be a hero is •to be alone against hostile and unfeeling nature, •to use speed and intelligence to battle mounting and eventually insurmountable odds.Whydetailed examination of the game•the avatar•the space of play•the nature of the conflicts•the core mechanic•the dramatic structureExample IIFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance"Braveheart"to be a hero is •to lead comrades to victory in a worthy cause, •to manage the developments one's own unique abilities and those of others, and •to deploy those abilities effectively when neededRhetorics of playStandard conceptualizations of playmay or may not be invoked by a given gameSutton-SmithProgressFatePowerIdentityImaginarythe SelfFrivolityPlay as ProgressStancePlay is how we (especially children) learnEnabled bycore mechanic emphasizing desirable skillsmoralistic narrativeGamesChutes and LaddersZoombini's Logical AdventurePlay as FateStanceTo play is submit to chance, to depend on luckEnabled byrules dependent on uncertaintylittle or no skill or knowledge necessaryGamesroulette"Sorry!"Play as PowerStanceTo play is to display prowess and defeat lesser playersEnabled byplay involving skill or strategic reasoning or bothGamessportsCounter-StrikePlay as IdentityStanceTo play is to cement group bonds and ground identityEnabled byemphasis on social playrules reward collaborative effort•non-zero sumGamesteam sportsmost MMORPGsPlay as the ImaginaryStanceTo play is to demonstrate creative and imaginative responsesEnabled bycomplex and emergent rule systemsopen game systemsGames"Cranium" gamesSimsPlay as Rhetoric of the