Genre, technology and embodied interaction: The evolution of digital game genres and motion gaming

Authors

  • Andreas Gregersen University of Copenhagen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/mediekultur.v27i51.4084

Keywords:

genre theory, classification, video games, interfaces, technology, embodiment, business strategies, cultural industries

Abstract

Technology has been given relatively little attention in genre theory, but this article argues that material technologies can be important components in genre development. The argument is based on a historically informed analysis of digital games, with special attention paid to home console video games and recent genre developments within this domain commonly referred to as motion gaming. The main point is that digital game genres imply structured embodied activity. A constitutive element of digital game mediation is a control interface geared to player embodiment, and I propose the concept of ‘interaction modes’ to describe the coupling of technology and player embodiment and show how this can be integrated with genre theory. The resulting framework allows for increased attention to continuity and change in game and communication genres, material and digital technologies, and the related interaction modes.

Author Biography

Andreas Gregersen, University of Copenhagen

Department of Media, Cognition and Communication

Assistant professor

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Published

2011-11-15

How to Cite

Gregersen, A. (2011). Genre, technology and embodied interaction: The evolution of digital game genres and motion gaming. MedieKultur: Journal of Media and Communication Research, 27(51), 16 p. https://doi.org/10.7146/mediekultur.v27i51.4084