What is the Avatar? Fiction and Embodiment in Avatar-Based Singleplayer Computer Games. Revised and Commented Edition, 2022
What are the characteristic features of avatar-based singleplayer videogames, from Super Mario Br... more What are the characteristic features of avatar-based singleplayer videogames, from Super Mario Bros. to Grand Theft Auto? Rune Klevjer examines this question with a particular focus on issues of fictionality and realism, and their relation to cinema and Virtual Reality. Through close-up analysis and philosophical discussion, Klevjer argues that avatar-based gaming is a distinctive and dominant form of virtual self-embodiment in digital culture. This book is a revised edition of Rune Klevjer's pioneering work from 2007, featuring a new introduction by the author and afterword by Stephan Günzel, Jörg Sternagel, and Dieter Mersch.
This paper seeks to clarify the role of the image in video game representation. I argue that virt... more This paper seeks to clarify the role of the image in video game representation. I argue that virtuality is incompatible with depictive representation, and that the distinction between virtual environments and interactive depiction is important in game theory and analysis. In the first part I combine a critical modification of Kendall Walton’s concept of reflexive representation with Edmund Husserl’s concept of image consciousness, in order to clarify the ontological difference between physical models and depictive images. In the second part, I discuss the relationship between physical models and virtual things, and the difference between photographic depiction and screen-mediated prosthetic vision. Finally, I show how this theoretical framework can help clarify the nature of interactive depiction in games.
In this philosophical essay, Rune Klevjer sketches out the main principles of avatar-mediated sel... more In this philosophical essay, Rune Klevjer sketches out the main principles of avatar-mediated selfhood in video games and other digital environments. The idea that avatars mediate for the user and player a sense of a re-embodied self is common in the literature, whether understood as virtual body, as digital persona, or as game piece. Drawing on Gallagher and Zahavi's notions of experiential selfhood and world-embeddedness, Klevjer suggests that being an avatar in this way is not merely a matter of extended agency or self-presentation, but that it is essentially about re-embedded subjectivity and selfhood. In avatarhood, alien environments become our environment, our habitat.
In this paper I will give a phenomenological account of embodied presence through computer game a... more In this paper I will give a phenomenological account of embodied presence through computer game avatars, based on Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s analysis of bodily intentionality, bodily space and bodily extensions (2002 [1962]). The core idea is that when we play, directly controllable avatars like Mario or Lara Croft, as well as racing cars or other kinds of controllable vehicles, function as prosthetic extensions of our own body, which extend into screen space the dual nature of the body as both subject and object. Because they act as proxies or stand-ins for our own body within the gameworld, prosthetic avatars are crucially different from more familiar kinds of bodily extensions, like tools or musical instruments. In navigable 3D environments, the main “body” of the avatar, in the phenomenological sense, is not the controllable marionette itself (for example Mario or Lara), but the navigable virtual camera, which becomes an extension of the player’s locomotive vision during play. In this way, the navigable camera, extending from the player’s eyes and fingers, re-locates the player’s bodily self-awareness – the immediate sense of “here” as opposed to “there” – into screen space. This displacement of our visual perceptual apparatus through prosthetic avatars creates a distinctive kind of prosthetic telepresence, a phenomenon that nineteenth-century philosophy could not imagine or foresee. Prosthetic telepresence operates at the ground level of the phenomenology of the body, and does not rely on imagination or fictionality. Prosthetic telepresence offers – and indeed demands – full perceptual immersion, yet is not dependent on technologies of audiovisual immersion.
This study investigates the statistical patterns of videogame preference orientations based on a ... more This study investigates the statistical patterns of videogame preference orientations based on a broad survey of media- cultural- and lifestyle preferences among Norwegian college and university students. It discusses the findings in light of previous research on game preferences and game culture. Particular attention is given to established notions of "core" versus "casual" gaming, including the gender aspect.
We used Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify patterns of association and opposition within players' stated favourites. In our analysis, the most dominant dimension articulates an opposition between an inclusive and family-friendly orientation at one end of the spectrum, and an exclusive, high-tech and dark/mature preference orientation at the other. This primary dimensional axis correlates with a demographic divide between low-frequent and predominantly female players and high-frequent and predominantly male players. The second most dominant axis articulates an opposition between a niche and a mainstream preference orientation, which is not linked to gender distinctions.
Through cluster analysis, we see that players' game preferences can be grouped into relatively distinct and coherent orientations. Drawing on the wealth of data in the original survey, we also see how player profiles can predict players' wider media- and cultural preference orientations. Among core gamers, the "E-sporters" and "Roleplayers" profiles reflect a fairly unambiguous association with autonomous game culture. In contrast, a large cluster of dedicated action- and sport fans, which includes only 4% women, is located at the intersection of game culture and mainstream masculine entertainment culture.
Studien tar for seg et 3-ukers undervisningsopplegg med strategispillet Civilization IV i samfunn... more Studien tar for seg et 3-ukers undervisningsopplegg med strategispillet Civilization IV i samfunnsfag i videregående skole. Spillet krever en systemorientert håndtering av komplekse samfunnsforhold, noe som er utfordrende og uvant for elevene. Jeg undersøker hvordan elevenes forhold til spill og spillkultur virker inn på hvordan de møter denne utfordringen, med et særlig blikk på kjønnsskiller. Studien har en sjangerteoretisk innfallsvinkel, med søkelys på sammenhengen mellom sjangerfelleskap, selvforståelse og mestring. Funnene viser at en gruppe av dataspill-entusiaster, nesten alle gutter, ble svært engasjert i spillingen, og brukte personlige erfaringer fra spillet til å reflektere over internasjonale forhold. For disse elevene fungerte læreren som en brobygger, en modell for hvordan gamer-identitet og skole-identitet kan fungere sammen. En gruppe av 5-6 jenter markerte derimot tydelig avstand til gamer-kulturen og sjangerfelleskapet, blant annet gjennom å overdrive og parodiere sin egen mangel på mestring i spillet. Her peker funnene også mot at kulturelle føringer om kjønn og teknologi spiller inn, delvis uavhengig av elevenes forhold til spillkultur og sjangerfelleskap. De spill-fremmede jentene var positive til ideen om spillbasert læring, men savnet skolens gjenkjennelige krav og arbeidsmåter.
The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies, 2014
The essay discusses the role and function of cinematic cut-scenes in single-player games, in part... more The essay discusses the role and function of cinematic cut-scenes in single-player games, in particular with respect to ongoing debates over in-game vs. cinematic storytelling. The first part gives an account of key historical developments and main current trends. The second part gives an introduction to the notion of narrative framing, emphasizing in particular the relevance of a rhetorical perspective. The third part argues that cut-scenes set up a separate cinematic space in parallel to ordinary game space, which redefines rather than necessarily excludes player agency. The final note suggests that successful storytelling through cut-scenes is rooted in a mirroring relationship between the player’s experience and the characters’ story.
Medievitenskap. Medier – tekstteori og tekstanalyse, 2008
Dette er en post-print versjon av:
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. I... more Dette er en post-print versjon av:
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. In Peter Larsen og Liv Hausken (eds): Medievitenskap bind 2, 2. utgave. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Selv om dataspill har vært en etablert del av populærkulturen siden slutten av syttitallet, er medievitenskapens interesse for mediet av forholdsvis ny dato. Det har ikke vært vanlig å betrakte dataspill som et medium og som en uttrykksform i samme forstand som for eksempel film eller tegneserier. Fram til midten av nittitallet var forskningsfeltet i hovedsak overlatt til psykologer, pedagoger og andre som er opptatt av hvordan spillingen virker inn på barn og unges utvikling og sosialisering (Provenzo 1991, Skirrow 1986). De siste 10-15 årene har dette endret seg mye, og forskning på dataspillenes form og estetikk hatt en nærmest eksplosiv vekst.
I dette kapittelet vil vi beskrive hvordan énspillerdataspillets form og oppbygning legger rammer og føringer for spillopplevelsen, og foreslå noen teoretiske verktøy som kan brukes i en analyse. I kapitlets første del vil vi presentere en analytisk modell som skal hjelpe oss å beskrive spillene på en mer systematisk måte. Denne modellen skiller mellom fem sentrale aspekter eller dimensjoner ved spillene, og sier litt om hvordan disse dimensjonene vanligvis griper inn i hverandre. Deretter vil vi bruke spillene Call of Duty (2003) og PeaceMaker (2007) som eksempler på hvordan modellen kan anvendes i en analyse.
O artigo discute a natureza dos ambientes gráficos participativos em tempo real, que correspondem... more O artigo discute a natureza dos ambientes gráficos participativos em tempo real, que correspondem à configuração que viabiliza uma ampla variedade de gêneros de games de ação. Ao adotar uma definição positiva de virtualidade, argumento que a noção de virtual dá conta do status ontológico desses ambientes. Inicio o argumento apresentando como a oposição entre ação e representação leva o conceito de virtualidade a um beco sem saída para, a seguir, explorar outras abordagens possíveis. Essa exploração culmina na conclusão de que, diferentemente dos modelos abstratos e concretos do jogar mimético não-computadorizado, a simulação da realidade física nos games é capaz de constituir seu próprio e irredutível terreno de percepção e ação. Quando avaliados desde um ponto de vista objetivo e externo, os modelos espaço-visuais gráficos dos jogos de computador são modelos de segunda-ordem. Entretanto, em uma perspectiva fenomenológica, o sujeito é capaz de, de fato verdade obrigado a se engajar...
What is the Avatar? Fiction and Embodiment in Avatar-Based Singleplayer Computer Games. Revised and Commented Edition, 2022
What are the characteristic features of avatar-based singleplayer videogames, from Super Mario Br... more What are the characteristic features of avatar-based singleplayer videogames, from Super Mario Bros. to Grand Theft Auto? Rune Klevjer examines this question with a particular focus on issues of fictionality and realism, and their relation to cinema and Virtual Reality. Through close-up analysis and philosophical discussion, Klevjer argues that avatar-based gaming is a distinctive and dominant form of virtual self-embodiment in digital culture. This book is a revised edition of Rune Klevjer's pioneering work from 2007, featuring a new introduction by the author and afterword by Stephan Günzel, Jörg Sternagel, and Dieter Mersch.
This paper seeks to clarify the role of the image in video game representation. I argue that virt... more This paper seeks to clarify the role of the image in video game representation. I argue that virtuality is incompatible with depictive representation, and that the distinction between virtual environments and interactive depiction is important in game theory and analysis. In the first part I combine a critical modification of Kendall Walton’s concept of reflexive representation with Edmund Husserl’s concept of image consciousness, in order to clarify the ontological difference between physical models and depictive images. In the second part, I discuss the relationship between physical models and virtual things, and the difference between photographic depiction and screen-mediated prosthetic vision. Finally, I show how this theoretical framework can help clarify the nature of interactive depiction in games.
In this philosophical essay, Rune Klevjer sketches out the main principles of avatar-mediated sel... more In this philosophical essay, Rune Klevjer sketches out the main principles of avatar-mediated selfhood in video games and other digital environments. The idea that avatars mediate for the user and player a sense of a re-embodied self is common in the literature, whether understood as virtual body, as digital persona, or as game piece. Drawing on Gallagher and Zahavi's notions of experiential selfhood and world-embeddedness, Klevjer suggests that being an avatar in this way is not merely a matter of extended agency or self-presentation, but that it is essentially about re-embedded subjectivity and selfhood. In avatarhood, alien environments become our environment, our habitat.
In this paper I will give a phenomenological account of embodied presence through computer game a... more In this paper I will give a phenomenological account of embodied presence through computer game avatars, based on Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s analysis of bodily intentionality, bodily space and bodily extensions (2002 [1962]). The core idea is that when we play, directly controllable avatars like Mario or Lara Croft, as well as racing cars or other kinds of controllable vehicles, function as prosthetic extensions of our own body, which extend into screen space the dual nature of the body as both subject and object. Because they act as proxies or stand-ins for our own body within the gameworld, prosthetic avatars are crucially different from more familiar kinds of bodily extensions, like tools or musical instruments. In navigable 3D environments, the main “body” of the avatar, in the phenomenological sense, is not the controllable marionette itself (for example Mario or Lara), but the navigable virtual camera, which becomes an extension of the player’s locomotive vision during play. In this way, the navigable camera, extending from the player’s eyes and fingers, re-locates the player’s bodily self-awareness – the immediate sense of “here” as opposed to “there” – into screen space. This displacement of our visual perceptual apparatus through prosthetic avatars creates a distinctive kind of prosthetic telepresence, a phenomenon that nineteenth-century philosophy could not imagine or foresee. Prosthetic telepresence operates at the ground level of the phenomenology of the body, and does not rely on imagination or fictionality. Prosthetic telepresence offers – and indeed demands – full perceptual immersion, yet is not dependent on technologies of audiovisual immersion.
This study investigates the statistical patterns of videogame preference orientations based on a ... more This study investigates the statistical patterns of videogame preference orientations based on a broad survey of media- cultural- and lifestyle preferences among Norwegian college and university students. It discusses the findings in light of previous research on game preferences and game culture. Particular attention is given to established notions of "core" versus "casual" gaming, including the gender aspect.
We used Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify patterns of association and opposition within players' stated favourites. In our analysis, the most dominant dimension articulates an opposition between an inclusive and family-friendly orientation at one end of the spectrum, and an exclusive, high-tech and dark/mature preference orientation at the other. This primary dimensional axis correlates with a demographic divide between low-frequent and predominantly female players and high-frequent and predominantly male players. The second most dominant axis articulates an opposition between a niche and a mainstream preference orientation, which is not linked to gender distinctions.
Through cluster analysis, we see that players' game preferences can be grouped into relatively distinct and coherent orientations. Drawing on the wealth of data in the original survey, we also see how player profiles can predict players' wider media- and cultural preference orientations. Among core gamers, the "E-sporters" and "Roleplayers" profiles reflect a fairly unambiguous association with autonomous game culture. In contrast, a large cluster of dedicated action- and sport fans, which includes only 4% women, is located at the intersection of game culture and mainstream masculine entertainment culture.
Studien tar for seg et 3-ukers undervisningsopplegg med strategispillet Civilization IV i samfunn... more Studien tar for seg et 3-ukers undervisningsopplegg med strategispillet Civilization IV i samfunnsfag i videregående skole. Spillet krever en systemorientert håndtering av komplekse samfunnsforhold, noe som er utfordrende og uvant for elevene. Jeg undersøker hvordan elevenes forhold til spill og spillkultur virker inn på hvordan de møter denne utfordringen, med et særlig blikk på kjønnsskiller. Studien har en sjangerteoretisk innfallsvinkel, med søkelys på sammenhengen mellom sjangerfelleskap, selvforståelse og mestring. Funnene viser at en gruppe av dataspill-entusiaster, nesten alle gutter, ble svært engasjert i spillingen, og brukte personlige erfaringer fra spillet til å reflektere over internasjonale forhold. For disse elevene fungerte læreren som en brobygger, en modell for hvordan gamer-identitet og skole-identitet kan fungere sammen. En gruppe av 5-6 jenter markerte derimot tydelig avstand til gamer-kulturen og sjangerfelleskapet, blant annet gjennom å overdrive og parodiere sin egen mangel på mestring i spillet. Her peker funnene også mot at kulturelle føringer om kjønn og teknologi spiller inn, delvis uavhengig av elevenes forhold til spillkultur og sjangerfelleskap. De spill-fremmede jentene var positive til ideen om spillbasert læring, men savnet skolens gjenkjennelige krav og arbeidsmåter.
The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies, 2014
The essay discusses the role and function of cinematic cut-scenes in single-player games, in part... more The essay discusses the role and function of cinematic cut-scenes in single-player games, in particular with respect to ongoing debates over in-game vs. cinematic storytelling. The first part gives an account of key historical developments and main current trends. The second part gives an introduction to the notion of narrative framing, emphasizing in particular the relevance of a rhetorical perspective. The third part argues that cut-scenes set up a separate cinematic space in parallel to ordinary game space, which redefines rather than necessarily excludes player agency. The final note suggests that successful storytelling through cut-scenes is rooted in a mirroring relationship between the player’s experience and the characters’ story.
Medievitenskap. Medier – tekstteori og tekstanalyse, 2008
Dette er en post-print versjon av:
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. I... more Dette er en post-print versjon av:
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. In Peter Larsen og Liv Hausken (eds): Medievitenskap bind 2, 2. utgave. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Selv om dataspill har vært en etablert del av populærkulturen siden slutten av syttitallet, er medievitenskapens interesse for mediet av forholdsvis ny dato. Det har ikke vært vanlig å betrakte dataspill som et medium og som en uttrykksform i samme forstand som for eksempel film eller tegneserier. Fram til midten av nittitallet var forskningsfeltet i hovedsak overlatt til psykologer, pedagoger og andre som er opptatt av hvordan spillingen virker inn på barn og unges utvikling og sosialisering (Provenzo 1991, Skirrow 1986). De siste 10-15 årene har dette endret seg mye, og forskning på dataspillenes form og estetikk hatt en nærmest eksplosiv vekst.
I dette kapittelet vil vi beskrive hvordan énspillerdataspillets form og oppbygning legger rammer og føringer for spillopplevelsen, og foreslå noen teoretiske verktøy som kan brukes i en analyse. I kapitlets første del vil vi presentere en analytisk modell som skal hjelpe oss å beskrive spillene på en mer systematisk måte. Denne modellen skiller mellom fem sentrale aspekter eller dimensjoner ved spillene, og sier litt om hvordan disse dimensjonene vanligvis griper inn i hverandre. Deretter vil vi bruke spillene Call of Duty (2003) og PeaceMaker (2007) som eksempler på hvordan modellen kan anvendes i en analyse.
O artigo discute a natureza dos ambientes gráficos participativos em tempo real, que correspondem... more O artigo discute a natureza dos ambientes gráficos participativos em tempo real, que correspondem à configuração que viabiliza uma ampla variedade de gêneros de games de ação. Ao adotar uma definição positiva de virtualidade, argumento que a noção de virtual dá conta do status ontológico desses ambientes. Inicio o argumento apresentando como a oposição entre ação e representação leva o conceito de virtualidade a um beco sem saída para, a seguir, explorar outras abordagens possíveis. Essa exploração culmina na conclusão de que, diferentemente dos modelos abstratos e concretos do jogar mimético não-computadorizado, a simulação da realidade física nos games é capaz de constituir seu próprio e irredutível terreno de percepção e ação. Quando avaliados desde um ponto de vista objetivo e externo, os modelos espaço-visuais gráficos dos jogos de computador são modelos de segunda-ordem. Entretanto, em uma perspectiva fenomenológica, o sujeito é capaz de, de fato verdade obrigado a se engajar...
In this chapter I review the literature on player-avatar relations in videogames, and argue that ... more In this chapter I review the literature on player-avatar relations in videogames, and argue that we should recognize avatarhood as a unique form of self-embodiment in virtual environments. In part I, I present and discuss the main theoretical approaches to self-embodiment via avatars, using an interpretative framework adapted from Ulric Neisser’s “Five kinds of self-knowledge”. In part II, I propose a general model of avatarhood, and discuss implications for a theoretical understanding of the role and function of player-avatar relationships. With reference to Dan Zahavi, I suggest that avatarhood is a virtual proxy of experiential selfhood, as essentially characterized by first-person experience, world-embeddedness and intersubjectivity. I also propose a distinction between bodily and formal avatarhood as alternative ontologies of virtual self-embodiment.
To be published in Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Games (2024), edited by C. Thi Nguyen and John Richard Sageng. A postprint version of the chapter is available on request.
Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Games,, 2023
This chapter gives a critical discussion of theoretical and philosophical research on self-extens... more This chapter gives a critical discussion of theoretical and philosophical research on self-extension via avatars in games and virtual environments, suggesting the concept of "avatarhood" as the extension of Zahavi and Gallagher's philosophical concept of selfhood into computer-generated environments.
Uploads
Books by Rune Klevjer
Papers by Rune Klevjer
the relationship between physical models and virtual things, and the difference between photographic depiction and screen-mediated prosthetic vision. Finally, I show how this theoretical framework can help clarify the nature of interactive depiction in games.
Keywords: representation, depiction, simulation, virtuality, Husserl, Walton
We used Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify patterns of association and opposition within players' stated favourites. In our analysis, the most dominant dimension articulates an opposition between an inclusive and family-friendly orientation at one end of the spectrum, and an exclusive, high-tech and dark/mature preference orientation at the other. This primary dimensional axis correlates with a demographic divide between low-frequent and predominantly female players and high-frequent and predominantly male players. The second most dominant axis articulates an opposition between a niche and a mainstream preference orientation, which is not linked to gender distinctions.
Through cluster analysis, we see that players' game preferences can be grouped into relatively distinct and coherent orientations. Drawing on the wealth of data in the original survey, we also see how player profiles can predict players' wider media- and cultural preference orientations. Among core gamers, the "E-sporters" and "Roleplayers" profiles reflect a fairly unambiguous association with autonomous game culture. In contrast, a large cluster of dedicated action- and sport fans, which includes only 4% women, is located at the intersection of game culture and mainstream masculine entertainment culture.
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. In Peter Larsen og Liv Hausken (eds): Medievitenskap bind 2, 2. utgave. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Selv om dataspill har vært en etablert del av populærkulturen siden slutten av syttitallet, er medievitenskapens interesse for mediet av forholdsvis ny dato. Det har ikke vært vanlig å betrakte dataspill som et medium og som en uttrykksform i samme forstand som for eksempel film eller tegneserier. Fram til midten av nittitallet var forskningsfeltet i hovedsak overlatt til psykologer, pedagoger og andre som er opptatt av hvordan spillingen virker inn på barn og unges utvikling og sosialisering (Provenzo 1991, Skirrow 1986). De siste 10-15 årene har dette endret seg mye, og forskning på dataspillenes form og estetikk hatt en nærmest eksplosiv vekst.
I dette kapittelet vil vi beskrive hvordan énspillerdataspillets form og oppbygning legger rammer og føringer for spillopplevelsen, og foreslå noen teoretiske verktøy som kan brukes i en analyse. I kapitlets første del vil vi presentere en analytisk modell som skal hjelpe oss å beskrive spillene på en mer systematisk måte. Denne modellen skiller mellom fem sentrale aspekter eller dimensjoner ved spillene, og sier litt om hvordan disse dimensjonene vanligvis griper inn i hverandre. Deretter vil vi bruke spillene Call of Duty (2003) og PeaceMaker (2007) som eksempler på hvordan modellen kan anvendes i en analyse.
the relationship between physical models and virtual things, and the difference between photographic depiction and screen-mediated prosthetic vision. Finally, I show how this theoretical framework can help clarify the nature of interactive depiction in games.
Keywords: representation, depiction, simulation, virtuality, Husserl, Walton
We used Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify patterns of association and opposition within players' stated favourites. In our analysis, the most dominant dimension articulates an opposition between an inclusive and family-friendly orientation at one end of the spectrum, and an exclusive, high-tech and dark/mature preference orientation at the other. This primary dimensional axis correlates with a demographic divide between low-frequent and predominantly female players and high-frequent and predominantly male players. The second most dominant axis articulates an opposition between a niche and a mainstream preference orientation, which is not linked to gender distinctions.
Through cluster analysis, we see that players' game preferences can be grouped into relatively distinct and coherent orientations. Drawing on the wealth of data in the original survey, we also see how player profiles can predict players' wider media- and cultural preference orientations. Among core gamers, the "E-sporters" and "Roleplayers" profiles reflect a fairly unambiguous association with autonomous game culture. In contrast, a large cluster of dedicated action- and sport fans, which includes only 4% women, is located at the intersection of game culture and mainstream masculine entertainment culture.
Klevjer, Rune (2008). “Dataspillanalyse: reisen og kartet”. In Peter Larsen og Liv Hausken (eds): Medievitenskap bind 2, 2. utgave. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Selv om dataspill har vært en etablert del av populærkulturen siden slutten av syttitallet, er medievitenskapens interesse for mediet av forholdsvis ny dato. Det har ikke vært vanlig å betrakte dataspill som et medium og som en uttrykksform i samme forstand som for eksempel film eller tegneserier. Fram til midten av nittitallet var forskningsfeltet i hovedsak overlatt til psykologer, pedagoger og andre som er opptatt av hvordan spillingen virker inn på barn og unges utvikling og sosialisering (Provenzo 1991, Skirrow 1986). De siste 10-15 årene har dette endret seg mye, og forskning på dataspillenes form og estetikk hatt en nærmest eksplosiv vekst.
I dette kapittelet vil vi beskrive hvordan énspillerdataspillets form og oppbygning legger rammer og føringer for spillopplevelsen, og foreslå noen teoretiske verktøy som kan brukes i en analyse. I kapitlets første del vil vi presentere en analytisk modell som skal hjelpe oss å beskrive spillene på en mer systematisk måte. Denne modellen skiller mellom fem sentrale aspekter eller dimensjoner ved spillene, og sier litt om hvordan disse dimensjonene vanligvis griper inn i hverandre. Deretter vil vi bruke spillene Call of Duty (2003) og PeaceMaker (2007) som eksempler på hvordan modellen kan anvendes i en analyse.
To be published in Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Games (2024), edited by C. Thi Nguyen and John Richard Sageng. A postprint version of the chapter is available on request.