But Why Games? I am (still) working on the paper f...

But Why Games?
I am (still) working on the paper for the upcoming DiGRA conference, and for the first time (in about 3 months of writing on and off) i let someone else read it. The feedback was not as scarry as I had imagined (isnt that always the case?) But one question that keeps coming back to haunt me thanks to my professor – why games? what is it about games – mmog’s in particular – that makes this worth talking about.

I am writting on functional roles designed into the game, the expectations that surround that role and the actualized, played role. This process is nothing new outside of the world of games. Social theory that deals with the social stucture of functioning systems (bureaucracies and society itself!) talks about individualization of roles, how this is allowed within a fixed (or necessary) functional structure.. so my question is – what is it about mmog’s (and EverQuest in particular) that makes games more then just an example of sociological role theory?

This is the question i am faced with heading into this conference. Although i am quite happy with the direction my paper is heading – is there more to it then example?

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