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Video Gaming as Practical Accomplishment: Ethnomethodology, Conversation Analysis, and Play
Stuart Reeves1, Christian Greiffenhagen2,3, Eric Laurier4
1Mixed Reality Lab, School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham.
Topics in Cognitive Science
|December 1, 2016
Summary
This study explores video game play using ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (EMCA). It examines the practical work of players across various game types, from massive multiplayer online games to first-person shooters.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Digital Media Studies
Background:
- Ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (EMCA) perspectives on video game play are emerging but scarce.
- Existing research often focuses on the practical, material "work" involved in playing video games.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an example-driven explication of an EMCA perspective on video game play phenomena.
- To analyze the situated practices of players in diverse gaming contexts.
- To elaborate on core EMCA topics relevant to understanding game play.
Main Methods:
- A "tactical zoom" approach, moving from broad observations of gaming spaces to detailed analysis of in-game interactions.
- Examination of video recordings from massive multiplayer online games, console games, and first-person shooter matches.
- Analysis of player and spectator interactions during gameplay.
Main Results:
- Identified recurrent phenomena and unstated orientations in video game play through EMCA.
- Demonstrated how diverse gaming activities can be analyzed as coherent, interconnected phenomena.
- Highlighted the practical "work" undertaken by players in various gaming environments.
Conclusions:
- Suggests caution in analyzing game play phenomena using EMCA.
- Identifies challenges for future EMCA-oriented research on video game play.
- Emphasizes the value of EMCA in understanding the situated, practical aspects of digital gameplay.
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