Project Leader
Diane Carr

Project Details
This research is supported by a fellowship grant from the Eduserv Foundation

Project Web Site

Keywords
Computer Games, motivation, gender, pleasure

Project outline
The aim of this project (2004-2007) is to contribute towards a better understanding of the motivating pleasures (and frustrations) of computer games, in order that their pedagogic potentials might be more effectively exploited. Computer games are analysed from the perspective of the player-as-analyst, as well as through the observation of play, and players.

Central Questions
Why are (some) computer games so captivating? Are computer games intrinsically motivating? How is meaning made or communicated in games? What of the relationship between learning-to-play, structure, and content? How do context and gender shape players’ motivation and tastes?

Background
We will engage with existing computer games analysis, theories of play, narrativity, representation, gender, ideology and ‘meaning’ in order to arrive at a better and more gamespecific understanding of such phenomena. During the examination of games and game-play (in the home, in classrooms and online) issues of methodology will also be under scrutiny.

Playing with The Sims

Early Outcomes
Outcomes thus far include chapters on ideology in strategy games, narrative and pleasure in film/game adaptations, conference papers with L.K.L colleagues, a paper on the relationship between game theory and games-for-learning, and a journal article on gendered preferences and commercial games. Please see the project website for further details.