A Ludic Litmus Test. Sara Is Missing, Gamevironments, and Gregory Bateson's Theory of Play
This paper introduces the Ludic Litmus Test (LLT) as a tool to determine whether digital interactions constitute a gamevironment - an analytic concept recognizing video games within their cultural, social, and broader contextual significance. With the proliferation of digital media, distinguishing b...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Gamevironments
Year: 2024, Volume: 21, Pages: 34-59 |
| Further subjects: | B
gamevironments
B Play Frame B Magic Circle B Gregory Bateson B Sara Is Missing B Metacommunication B Ludic Communication B Narrative Interactivity B Static Disruption B Ludic Litmus Test |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This paper introduces the Ludic Litmus Test (LLT) as a tool to determine whether digital interactions constitute a gamevironment - an analytic concept recognizing video games within their cultural, social, and broader contextual significance. With the proliferation of digital media, distinguishing between a game and non-game environment is increasingly complex. The LLT scrutinizes digital interactions for ludic traits, evaluating whether they are part of a playful domain or a regular context. Using the game Sara Is Missing (2016) as a case study, the paper found the test to be particularly useful in assessing ludic elements when the distinction between the game’s fictional narrative and real-world cues is blurred. Central to the LLT is the identification of ludic communication, which juxtaposes an overt message against a subtle metamessage, indicating that the context is playful. The LLT aims to refine the ambiguous terms game and play, preventing circular reasoning and enhancing academic discourse. |
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| ISSN: | 2364-382X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gamevironments
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.48783/gameviron.v21.i21.262 |
