The Pyrrhic Victory of Game Studies: Assessing the Past, Present, and Future of Interdisciplinary Game Research

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Pyrrhic Victory of Game Studies

T2 - Assessing the Past, Present, and Future of Interdisciplinary Game Research

AU - Deterding, Christoph Sebastian

N1 - This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

PY - 2017/9/1

Y1 - 2017/9/1

N2 - Although game studies are widely viewed as an interdisciplinary field, it is unclear how interdisciplinary they actually are. In response, this article reads scientometric data and game studies editorials, handbooks and introductions through the lens of interdisciplinarity studies to assess game studies’ status as an interdiscipline. It argues that game studies show drivers and hurdles typical for interdisciplines. Yet instead of establishing themselves as the broad umbrella interdiscipline of digital game research, they are becoming one narrow cultural studies multidiscipline within the growing and diversifying field of game research and education. Researchers from fields like human-computer interaction or communication are abandoning game studies venues in favor of disciplinary ones – ironically thanks to game studies legitimizing game research. The article suggests that a design orientation and cross-disciplinary boundary objects such as middle range theories could help to broaden, deepen, and secure future interdisciplinary game research.

AB - Although game studies are widely viewed as an interdisciplinary field, it is unclear how interdisciplinary they actually are. In response, this article reads scientometric data and game studies editorials, handbooks and introductions through the lens of interdisciplinarity studies to assess game studies’ status as an interdiscipline. It argues that game studies show drivers and hurdles typical for interdisciplines. Yet instead of establishing themselves as the broad umbrella interdiscipline of digital game research, they are becoming one narrow cultural studies multidiscipline within the growing and diversifying field of game research and education. Researchers from fields like human-computer interaction or communication are abandoning game studies venues in favor of disciplinary ones – ironically thanks to game studies legitimizing game research. The article suggests that a design orientation and cross-disciplinary boundary objects such as middle range theories could help to broaden, deepen, and secure future interdisciplinary game research.

KW - game studies

KW - interdisciplinarity studies

KW - Interdisciplinarity

KW - games

KW - game research

KW - multidisciplinarity

KW - transdisciplinarity

KW - design research

U2 - 10.1177/1555412016665067

DO - 10.1177/1555412016665067

M3 - Article

SN - 1555-4120

VL - 12

SP - 521

EP - 543

JO - Games and Culture

JF - Games and Culture

IS - 6

ER -