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Introduction to Special Issue Ludic Economies

Ludic Economics 101

Bibliographic Data

ID2409683
AuthorsSeth Gidding (0000-0001-7323-9184, University of Southampton, corresponding author), Alison Harvey (0000-0002-6978-5622, University of Leicester)
Year2018
Volume13
Issue7
Pages647-651
Publication date2018-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGames and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1555412018755912
OpenAlexW2791889458
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited13

In this special issue on ludic economies, we argue that the study of digital games-their milieux of production, cultures and contexts of play, user-generated production, and spectatorship should be applied as a primary heuristic in understanding the cultural economy of neoliberal late capitalism-as well as vice versa. The articles here focus on a range of issues related to both mainstream profit models including digital distribution platforms and mobile games as well as peripheral game economies such as jams and indie production. Each of the studies share an attunement to the tensions and contradictions embedded within what are commonly approached as matter-of-fact within traditional economic analysis of games. Rather than framing industrial changes as necessarily either overdetermined exploitation (of workers in the mainstream games industry, players and their 'free' labour) or emancipatory and progressive (new forms of creative production, play, resistance), they address the specificity and peculiarity of game economies at both the micro- and macro-levels of industry, technology, and everyday play culture. And rather than simply countering a pessimistic picture with other, more progressive examples of contemporary game culture such as 'games for change', art practices and political interventions-as important as these are-the contributions to this special issue instead track the contradictions and tensions within game cultures and economies as reflections of those within the late capitalist and patriarchal cultural economy at large

Capitalism · Economic system · Economics · Economy · Framing (construction · Game studies · Mainstream · Media studies · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Technological determinism · Cinema and Media Studies · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Digital Games and Media

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    Open Access•Trevor Zaucha, Colin Agur•New Media & Society•2022

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    Open Access•Torill Elvira Mortensen, Torill Mortensen et al.•MedieKultur Journal of media and…•2018

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    Open Access•David Murphy, Joshua Jarrett•Social Media + Society•2024

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    Open Access•Esben Langager Olsen, Johan Simonsen Abildgaard•Journal of Cultural Economy•2022

  • Playing to Profit

    Leslie-Dawn Quick•Deviant Behavior•2025

  • Global Games

    Aphra Kerr•Global Games•2017

  • Coin-Operated Americans

    Carly A Kocurek•Coin-Operated Americans•2010

  • The Business and Culture of Digital Games

    Aphra Kerr•The Business and Culture of…•2006

  • Game Jam as Feminist Methodology

    Open Access•Helen W Kennedy•Games and Culture•2018

  • How Do Those Danish Bastards Sleep at Night

    Open Access•Joyce Goggin•Games and Culture•2018

  • The Fame Game

    Open Access•Alison Harvey•Games and Culture•2018

  • Indie Dreams

    Open Access•Patrick Crogan•Games and Culture•2018

  • The Discourse of Digital Dispossession

    Open Access•Daniel James Joseph, Daniel Joseph•Games and Culture•2018

  • Accursed Play

    Open Access•Seth Gidding•Games and Culture•2018

  • The Entrepreneurial Gamer

    Open Access•Jennifer Jenson, Suzanne De Castell•Games and Culture•2018

  • Regulating (Virtual) Subjects

    Joyce Goggin•Journal of Cultural Economy•2012

Unique citing works9
Citations per year1,13
Citation span2018 - 2025 (8)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 9

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