Persuasive Gaming in Context

Abstract

The rapid developments of new communication technologies have facilitated the popularization of digital games, which has translated into an exponential growth of the game industry in the last decades. The ubiquitous presence of digital games has resulted in an expansion of the applications of these games from mere entertainment purposes to a great variety of serious purposes. In this edited volume, we narrow the scope of attention by focusing on what game theorist Ian Bogost has called "persuasive games", that is, gaming practices that combine the dissemination of information with attempts to engage players in particular attitudes and behaviors. This volume offers a multifaceted reflection on persuasive gaming, that is, on the process of these particular games being played by players. The purpose is to better understand when and how digital games can be used for persuasion, by further exploring persuasive games and some other kinds of persuasive playful interaction as well. The book critically integrates what has been accomplished in separate research traditions to offer a multidisciplinary approach to understanding persuasive gaming that is closely linked to developments in the industry by including the exploration of relevant case studies.

The War on Terror beyond the barrel of a gun: The procedural rhetorics of the boardgame Labyrinth

“…Instead, one must focus on the connection between particular game mechanics and narrative outcomes. Bogost's concept continues to be a cornerstone of ludic studies, even if it has been subject to critical analysis (De la Hera et al, 2021;Sicart, 2011). For example, Robinson (2012) applied it to FPS to demonstrate that their procedures allow for a very limited possibility space, requiring players to win primarily through violence.…”

Offsetting Game—Framing Environmental Issues in the Design of a Serious Game

“…However, frame analysis has been much less used to examine game design choices or games as media communicating certain framings. As games communicate meanings and beliefs, and offer an understanding of the world and topic they are depicting and simulating (Booth 2021:146–47), they can also be harnessed to intentionally affect players (Bogost 2007; De La Hera et al 2021). In games, frames extend from game elements and aesthetics to storyline, characters, mechanics, and rules.…”

La reinvención del videojuego y nuevas formas de consumo en tiempos de confinamiento. Caso Fortnite

“…En el campo de los Game Studies, los videojuegos han sido definidos como artefactos culturales llenos de significado (Salen & Zimmerman, 2004), capaces de entretener (Poole, 2007), informar (Bogost et al, 2010), educar (Lacasa, 2011;Portero Tresserra & Bueno Torrens, 2019), concienciar (Gómez García, 2014), y persuadir (Bogost, 2007;De la Hera et al, 2021).…”