My talk from DiGRA FDG 2016: Analyzing idle games through the theoretical lenses of “game aesthetics” and “boundary work”, I explore how game makers intentionally or unintentionally partake in working the boundaries of “real” games.

1. Sebastian Deterding (@dingstweets)
Digital Creativity Labs, University of York
DiGRA/FDG 2016, August 3, 2016
progress wars
Idle Games and the Demarcation
of “Real Games”

2. we live in a time where some reject existing notions of “games” or “gamers” …

3. … while others fiercly defend the boundaries of “Real Gamestm”

4. consalvo and paul presciently observed this process with facebook games.

5. as did bateman with game scholars & designers: “ontology entails value theory.”

6. notably, they don’t talk about “them.”
#GG

7. they talk about “us.”

8. to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.

9. to social constructivists, this is neither new nor game-specific.

10. How – through what practical and
rhetorical work – do game makers
and scholars maintain or extend
the boundary of “games”?
research question
How – through what practical and
rhetorical boundary work – do
game makers maintain or extend
the boundary of “games”?

11. case study: idle games

12. rpg progress mechanics, compound interest, grinding, and “virtual skill”
resource
(xp, loot, …)
source
(skill, buff,
production, …)
“mindless” clicking/time

13. the three stages of idle games.
1. Boundary-drawing parody
2. Boundary-blurring experiment
3. Boundary-extending genre

14. <1>
boundary-drawing
parody

15. not games: metagames

16. progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

17. progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

18. progress quest, eric fredricksen, 2002: against mmoprg progress/autocombat

19. statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

20. statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

21. statbuilder (classic), 2008/9: against rpg progress mechanics

22. achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems

23. achievement unlocked, john cooney, 2008: against achievement systems

24. progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

25. progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

26. progress wars, jacob skjerning, 2010: against facebook games

27. cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

28. cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

29. cow clicker, ian bogost, 2010: against facebook games & gamification

30. the obdurate
audience

31. cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play

32. cow clicker, 2010: ironic, meta-ironic, and … serious play

33. progress wars, 2010: distancing derision

34. <2>
boundary-blurring
experiment

35. candy box, aniwey, 2013

36. candy box, aniwey, 2013

37. candy box, 2013: baffled enjoyment

38. candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

39. candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

40. candy box, 2013: differentiated appreciation

41. candy box: unironic theorycrafting

42. cookie clicker, julien thiennot, 2013

43. “pointless experiments”

44. non-derisive, curious exploration

45. strategy guides

46. optimiser tools

47. speedruns

48. autoclickers

49. twitch streamers, complete with fundraisers

50. a game, not a game parody

51. <3>
boundary-extending
genre

52. clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

53. clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

54. optimisation as new/old form of gameplay

55. clicker heroes, playsaurus, 2014

56. a game, not a game parody

57. genre category gets implemented/institutionalised

58. industry appreciation talk

59. industry appreciation talk

60. industry design talk

61. industry analysis talk

62. summary
1. Idle games began as ironic boundary-drawing parodies that
defended a challenge aesthetic against mmorpgs, achievement
systems, facebook games, and gamification (2002-10).
2. They morphed into boundary-blurring experiments that
curiously explored the appeal of incremental mechanics (2013).
3. They solidified into a boundary-extending genre with game
makers talking normally about their business opportunities,
audiences, and design, and used an institutionalised genre label
(2014+).

63. sebastian@codingconduct.cc
@dingstweets
codingconduct.cc
thank you.