Can the Term Communication Genuinely Be Applied to the Discourse of Videogames?

• Autores: Alan Floyd
• Localización: Discourses in co(n)text: the many faces of specialised discourse / Magdalena Zabielska (ed. lit.), Emilia Wasikiewicz-Firlej (ed. lit.), Anna Szcezepaniak-Kozak (ed. lit.), 2015, ISBN 978-1-4438-7419-9, págs. 252-274
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The present article defines communication outside and inside the gaming context, showing the connection between the concepts "community" and "communication". It is suggested that, in common with much traditional media, the incorporation of elements of feedback in video games is a strategy of designers and manufacturers alike to make use of the democratic age in which we live, in order to encourage garners to feel they are part of a community. It is therefore paradoxical that, just as in other media, the audience tends to be made up of individuals acting mostly alone or interacting exclusively with a machine. On the other hand, it is argued that gamer empowerment goes far beyond that which exists in other media channels for spectators, readers and listeners alike, due to the intrinsically active role played by users. The discourse of game inventors involves dialogue with users and clients, rather than a monologue aimed at an audience.

    We analyse the process known as "localisation", whereby video game designers are obliged to adapt to and assimilate local circumstances (language and culture), and suggest that game producers respond adequately to real users' needs with regard to their communication with the enterprise. We stress the need for the translation of many videogame elements, and examine how this impinges on, and is in turn responded to by, the Spanish language. Finally, the effect of videogames on human conduct is examined, firstly, by the way different categories of humanity are often stereotyped, and secondly by the possibly harmfol effects of violent scenes and aggressive activities carried out by protagonists.

    However, ending on a more positive note, we note that nearly every game can communicate something deeper, encouraging a more profound interactive learning experience and providing us with a unique sense of satisfaction and realisation.