Games - Introduction
Unlike movies or books, games are unique because they focus on agency and interactivity, meaning player do things rather than just watching or listening.
Meaning and action in games
At its core, a game is constructed from several essential components: a defined Goal (the end state players are trying to reach), Rules (the formal structure establishing what can and cannot be done), Obstacles (elements preventing easy goal achievement) and a Core Dynamic, "the main action of a game, what the player does most of the time in order to reach their goal(s)."[1]
Dynamics of the game industry
The video game industry has evolved from a niche entertainment market into a dominant global force, surpassing the combined revenue of the film and music industries. This evolution has been marked by radical shifts in how games are published, monetized and consumed, creating both unprecedented opportunities for creators and significant challenges for players.
Rules of notice in social media
Historically, broadcast media followed a hierarchical model where a small elite group of wealthy producers shaped the public sphere and sent one-way communication to a much larger mass of receivers, often promoting views favorable to the status quo.
How rules of action shape social media use
Where all media communicate through rules of notice, interactive media are fundamentally defined by their structural possibilities – what might be called "rules of action " – which significantly influence how users communicate and behave.