Video Game Taxonomies

The key problem that afflicts the study of computer games as Art, Narrative and Experience is the word itself, ‘Game’.

The word is an umbrella term that spans its wide reach to encompass everything from Pong and Tetris to Bioshock and World of Warcraft. And in having such a wide range, the term Game becomes decidedly unusual and unhelpful to both game designers and game scholars. No matter how much the ludologists may argue that anything that conforms to rules, goals and ‘play’ is a Game, the experience and construction of Tetris and Bioshock are clearly not the same - indeed, not even vaguely similar.. Calling both a ‘game’ by be technically true to ludology but the term fails to provide any useful clarity for understand both how each works and how each is made.

Breaking down this problem and establishing more functional game taxonomies - as well as articulating a continuum of game narrative form - is the principle challenge of a new module of study in the AFTRS Graduate Certificate in Screen Culture.

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