progress wars: idle games and the demarcation of "real games"

Sebastian Deterding (@dingstweets) Digital Creativity Labs, University of York DiGRA/FDG 2016, August 3, 2016

progress wars

Idle Games and the Demarcation of “Real Games”

we live in a time where some reject existing notions of “games” or “gamers” …

… while others fiercly defend the boundaries of “Real Gamestm”

consalvo and paul presciently observed this process with facebook games.

as did bateman with game scholars & designers: “ontology entails value theory.”

notably, they don’t talk about “them.”

#GG

they talk about “us.”

to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.

to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.

How – through what practical and rhetorical work – do game makers and scholars maintain or extend

the boundary of “games”?

research question

How – through what practical and rhetorical boundary work – do

game makers maintain or extend the boundary of “games”?

case study: idle games

rpg progress mechanics, compound interest, grinding, and “virtual skill”

resource (xp, loot, …)

source (skill, buff,

production, …)

“mindless” clicking/time

the three stages of idle games.

1. Boundary-drawing parody 2. Boundary-blurring experiment 3. Boundary-extending genre

<1> boundary-drawing

parody

not games: metagames

progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems

achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems

progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

the obdurate audience

cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play

cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play

progress wars, 2010: distancing derision

<2> boundary-blurring

experiment

candy box, aniwey, 2013

candy box, aniwey, 2013

candy box, 2013: baffled enjoyment

candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

candy box: unironic theorycrafting

cookie clicker, julien thiennot, 2013

“pointless experiments”

non-derisive, curious exploration

strategy guides

optimiser tools

speedruns

autoclickers

twitch streamers, complete with fundraisers

a game, not a game parody

<3> boundary-extending

genre

clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

optimisation as new/old form of gameplay

clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

a game, not a game parody

genre category gets implemented/institutionalised

industry appreciation talk

industry appreciation talk

industry design talk

industry analysis talk

summary

1. Idle games began as ironic boundary-drawing parodies that defended a challenge aesthetic against mmorpgs, achievement systems, facebook games, and gamification (2002-10).

2. They morphed into boundary-blurring experiments that curiously explored the appeal of incremental mechanics (2013).

3. They solidified into a boundary-extending genre with game makers talking normally about their business opportunities, audiences, and design, and used an institutionalised genre label (2014+).

sebastian@codingconduct.cc

@dingstweets

codingconduct.cc

thank you.