How we talk about games as real or not-real, and how that shapes what
games are made and who is invited to play them.
In videogame criticism, the worst insult might be "That's not a real
game!" For example, "That's not a real game, it's on Facebook!" and
"That's not a real game, it's a walking simulator!" But how do people
judge what is a real game and what is not--what features establish a
game's gameness? In this engaging book, Mia Consalvo and Christopher
Paul examine the debates about the realness or not-realness of
videogames and find that these discussions shape what games get made and
who is invited to play them.
Consalvo and Paul look at three main areas often viewed as determining a
game's legitimacy: the game's pedigree (its developer), the content of
the game itself, and the game's payment structure. They find, among
other things, that even developers with a track record are viewed with
suspicion if their games are on suspect platforms. They investigate game
elements that are potentially troublesome for a game's gameness,
including genres, visual aesthetics, platform, and perceived difficulty.
And they explore payment models, particularly free-to-play--held by some
to be a marker of illegitimacy. Finally, they examine the debate around
such so-called walking simulators as Dear Esther and Gone Home. And
finally, they consider what purpose is served by labeling certain games
"real.
