Open AccessNotes on the Biographical Meaning of Games and Online-Games
Author(s) -
Helle Meister,
Gerrit Herlyn
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
eludamos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1866-6124
DOI - 10.7557/23.5993
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , perspective (graphical) , context (archaeology) , point (geometry) , relation (database) , game mechanics , video game culture , turns, rounds and time keeping systems in games , stereotype (uml) , video game , psychology , sociology , media studies , advertising , multimedia , video game design , computer science , social psychology , visual arts , art , history , geometry , mathematics , archaeology , database , business , psychotherapist
The usual stereotype of the player of video games is that as young and male. That players become older and video games abide in peoples´ lives is still a new perspective on video games. This is the starting point of our research project “Cultures of gaming. Towards the biographical meaning of games and online-games” which focuses the meaning of games and video games in a biographical viewpoint. We are comparing the experiences and reflections in different age groups with a main focus on players that are approximately 60 years or older. By using the method of biographical interviews we are centring the context between play, video games, the use of technology and the life story. In our lecture we discuss some results of the analysis of the biographical interviews. First we point out the role of the different modes of speaking about games by showing some typical patterns that were frequently used by the interviewed persons by talking about games. The second top is about the relation between games and biography showing some examples how games become important for life history. The third point deals with the different evaluations of games and the preferences that were expressed by the interviewed persons. In a final step we ask in how far the adoption of technology plays an important role - especially for older people - for their open-mindedness towards video games.