The Matter at Hand: A Practice-Theoretical Model of Digital Gaming

• Authors: Milan Jaćević

Title variants

Praktyczno-teoretyczny model grania cyfrowego

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Investigations into the nature of the activity of gaming have been made difficult by virtue of the plurality of possible forms this activity may take. In this paper, I address this problem by examining (digital) gaming under the heading of practice theory, in an attempt to shed more light on the practical aspects of ludic literacy. Building on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of Pierre Bourdieu, I present a general model of digital gaming as a form of situated human practice, followed by details of a case study, conducted in order to test and adjust the initial version of the model. Though further research with a greater population of players is needed in order to expand the scope of the model, the findings of the study lend credence to its validity as a conceptual framework for delineating and framing different practices generated by digital game artefacts.

PL

Badania nad naturą grania są utrudnione przez różnorodność możliwych form, jakie może przybierać ta działalność. W artykule tym podejmuję ten problem, analizując gry (cyfrowe) pod szyldem teorii praktyki i próbuję rzucić więcej światła na praktyczne aspekty kompetencji ludycznych. Opierając się na założeniach teoretycznych i koncepcyjnych Pierre’a Bourdieu, przedstawiam ogólny model gier cyfrowych jako formy usytuowanej praktyki człowieka, a następnie prezentuję studium przypadku, zaprojektowane w celu przetestowania i skorygowania wstępnej wersji modelu. Choć poszerzenie zakresu stosowalności modelu wymaga badań na większej populacji graczy, wyniki naszego badania potwierdzają poprawność naszego modelu rozumianego jako teoria wyznaczania i osadzania praktyk wyrosłych z artefaktów ludycznych.

Keywords

EN

digital gaming; practice theory; Pierre Bourdieu; ludic literacy; game studies; gameplay performance; gaming skills

PL

granie cyfrowe; teoria praktyki; Pierre Bourdieu; kompetencje ludyczne; groznawstwo; granie; umiejętności gracza; granie cyfrowe; teoria praktyki; Pierre Bourdieu; kompetencje ludyczne; groznawstwo; granie; umiejętności gracza

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Łódzki. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
• Journal: Replay. The Polish Journal of Game Studies
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 7-26

Dates

published

2019-12-30

Contributors

author

Milan Jaćević

• The Royal Danish Academy, Institute for Visual Design

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Identifiers

DOI

10.18778/2391-8551.06.01