The hardcore gamer is dead: Long live gamers
Abstract
In this chapter, we argue that the ethos, identity, or and the "dwelling places" of the "hardcore gamer" were created and maintained by the computer game industry in order to sell mass quantities of games to a relatively affluent consumer base. The hardcore gamer was called into being (hailed or interpellated, as Althusser might say) by marketing campaigns, advertisements, and game retailers rather than by specific in-game content or representations. We interrogate several game advertisements that span time (1981-2013), medium (print, video, and an email campaign), and platform (arcade machines, Sega Genesis, Sony PlayStation, and Microsoft Xbox One) to demonstrate how the game industry's insistent hailing to of the hardcore gamer built substantial ethos. This ethos gave the hardcore gamer power to mobilize behind #gamergate, which was, in their own words, primarily a "consumer revolt," but in practice was a targeted harassment campaign.
Recommended Citation
Braegger, Victoria, and Ryan Moeller. "The hardcore gamer is dead: Long live gamers." The Ethics of Playing, Researching, and Teaching Games in the Writing Classroom, Springer, 2021, pp.195-211.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63311-0_12
Department(s)
English and Technical Communication
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-303063311-0;978-303063310-3
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 Springer, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
27 Jan 2021
