Digital Games Research: A Survey Study on an Emerging Field and Its Prevalent Debates

Abstract

Digital games have become a popular form of media entertainment. However, it remains unclear whether a canon of accepted knowledge and research practices has emerged that may define an independent field of research. This study is a collaborative effort to analyze the outlines of digital games research (DGR) through a survey among the membership of 3 institutionalized structures focusing on the study of digital games (International Communication Association Game Studies Interest Group, European Communication Research and Education Association Temporary Working Group DGR, and Digital Games Research Association). The study reveals relatively homogeneous viewpoints among games researchers, even regarding controversial aspects of digital games. It mirrors the mainstream scholarly views on contentious issues of a recently emerged field within communication studies.

Learning to blast a way into crime, or just good clean fun? Examining aggressive play with toy weapons and its relation with crime

“…Among play behaviours, most attention has been focused on activities such as engagement with violent video games. Here, despite several decades of research, no consensus on effects was ever reached (Quandt et al, ; Ferguson & Colwell, ). Use of toy weapons often occurs early in development, giving such toys the potential for more influence than video games.…”

Violent Video Games, Sexist Video Games, and the Law: Why Can't We Find Effects?

“…Interestingly, by the time scholars began to reexamine evidence for consensus beginning in the 2010s, that degree of agreement had largely evaporated. Indeed, surveys of scholars began to lean more toward skepticism, with various surveys finding that only approximately 10-39.5% (Ferguson 2015b, Ferguson & Colwell 2017, Quandt et al 2015 of scholars and clinicians agreed that media or video game violence could contribute to societal aggression or violence. Some scholars associated with antimedia advocacy (e.g., Bushman et al 2015) tried to claim a consensus anyway, although these efforts were subsequently criticized for being misleading (e.g., Etchells & Chambers 2014.…”

“…Some scholars associated with antimedia advocacy (e.g., Bushman et al 2015) tried to claim a consensus anyway, although these efforts were subsequently criticized for being misleading (e.g., Etchells & Chambers 2014. Agree there is a causal relationship between exposure to violent media and aggression (Bushman et al 2015) Agree violence in the media is a major factor in real-life violence (Bushman et al 2015) Clinicians who work with youth who agree violent video games cause youth violence (Ferguson 2015b) Scholars who agree violent video games cause youth assaults (Ferguson & Colwell 2017) Agree the effects of digital games on aggression are a problem for society (Quandt et al 2015) Agreement among scholars and clinicians (%)…”

“…As with the concept of violence, what is meant by sexism in video games may not always be entirely clear. For instance, media critic Anita Sarkeesian (2013) has noted that female characters have historically been presented in damsel-in-distress roles in most video games, rather than as active heroic characters. In an analysis of video games through the year 2009, Williams et al (2009) found that female characters are generally underrepresented in video games.…”

The Association between Sexist Games and Diminished Empathy Remains Tenuous: Lessons from Gabbiadini et al. (2017) and Gabbiadini et al. (2016) Regarding Sensationalism and Accuracy in Media Research

“…A best, such a claim is an argument to consensus logical fallacy that one could interpret as pressure for scholars to conform to the right way of thinking on a moral issue. Until recently, it was common to hear advocates of causal effects for violent video games claim consensus, although subsequent surveys of scholars disputed this notion (e.g., Bushman et al 2015a;Ferguson and Colwell 2017;Quandt et al 2015 …”