How to Present the History of Digital Games: Enthusiast, Emancipatory, Genealogical, and Pathological Approaches. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Suominen, Jaakko
• Other Names: Mäyrä Frans guest-editor.; Sotamaa Olli guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Games and culture. Volume 12:Number 6(2017)
• Page Start: 544
• Page End: 562
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: historiography of digital games -- meta-review -- history and theory -- cultural history -- representations of the past; Games -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Video games -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Computer games -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Interactive multimedia -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 303.4834
• DOI: 10.1177/1555412016653341
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1555-4120

Abstract

This article approaches the historiography of digital games by suggesting a categorization of four different genres that can be utilized in the presentation of the history of digital games: enthusiast, emancipatory, genealogical, and pathological. All of these genres are based on various conceptions of what is important in the history of digital games and to whom the history is primarily targeted. The article also evaluates the premises of the authors of the histories. The present article's main objective is to create suggestions for a unique classification that would be especially suitable for the historiography of digital games.