Videogame affect and capitalistic control... sigh

Harking back to affect, I found this really interesting journal article discussing the manipulation of it in video games. (Also available through the uni journal service). Shaw and Warf argue that an affective experience is paramount to game play today, and has become increasingly rich as game worlds have developed. They voice a general concern that this aspect of video games is not being appropriately analysed, understood and critiqued. Having searched fairly comprehensively I have to agree, while there is plenty of theory around affect, there is little literature making the connection to gaming and its increasing function.

They define affect as 'a precognitive force which disrupts and delights players with reactions ranging from fear to joy', and argue that manipulating a player's sensory experience is a central strategy for some game designers. Shaw and Warf's opinion really interests me, that more complex worlds allow designers to conceal and employ affective manipulation in more detailed and complex ways makes complete sense. So too does their justification of the forces of capitalism for this, however it is quite sad! 'To keep gamers consuming' they argue, 'it reveals video games as much more than simple sources of entertainment, but as avenues through which commodity production and consumption penetrate into ever-deeper levels of consciousness' (1339).

Bloody capitalism!

However other opinions must be considered, affective and experiential game development produces a lot of pleasure for a lot of people, and thinking about active agency and the like, the influence of video games are far greater than simply another cog in the capitalist engine. Besides personal entertainment, online games facilitate community and high levels of contemporary diverse social interaction. So its not all bad!

Once again though, it seems as if technological development remains two paces ahead of the corresponding critiquing academia. Keep up the research people!