Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads

Higher Education


Catalogs
News
Desk/Exam
(0)
Wish List (0)
Wish List
Download high-resolution image Look inside

Mainstreaming and Game Journalism

Part of Playful Thinking

Author David B. Nieborg, Maxwell Foxman
Look inside
Paperback
$30.00 US
The MIT Press
On sale Sep 26, 2023 | 224 Pages | 9780262546287
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
Why games are still niche and not mainstream, and how journalism can help them gain cultural credibility.

Mainstreaming and Game Journalism addresses both the history and current practice of game journalism, along with the roles writers and industry play in conveying that the medium is a “mainstream” form of entertainment. Through interviews with reporters, David B. Nieborg and Maxwell Foxman retrace how the game industry and journalists started a subcultural spiral in the 1980s that continues to this day. Digital play became increasingly exclusionary by appealing to niche audiences, relying on hardcore fans and favoring the male gamer stereotype. At the same time, this culture pushed journalists to the margins, leaving them toiling to find freelance gigs and deeply ambivalent about their profession.

Mainstreaming and Game Journalism also examines the bumpy process of what we think of as “mainstreaming.” The authors argue that it encompasses three overlapping factors. First, for games to become mainstream, they need to become more ubiquitous through broader media coverage. Second, an increase in ludic literacy, or how-to play games, determines whether that greater visibility translates into accessibility. Third, the mainstreaming of games must gain cultural legitimacy. The fact that games are more visible does little if only a few people take them seriously or deem them worthy of attention. Ultimately, Mainstreaming and Game Journalism provocatively questions whether games ever will—or even should—gain widespread cultural acceptance.
On Thinking Playfully vii
1 Introduction: "Shall I Explain the Game?" 1
2 Moving Away from the Mainstream 31
3 Passionate Experts 59
4 The Many Streams of Game Journalism 85
5 What It's Actually About 115
6 Conclusion: Mainstream Is a Verb 139
Notes 159
Bibliography 187
Index 203
David B. Nieborg is Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Toronto. He is the coauthor of Platforms and Cultural Production with Thomas Poell and Brooke Erin Duffy.

Maxwell Foxman is Assistant Professor of Media Studies and Game Studies at the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon.
David B. Nieborg View titles by David B. Nieborg
Maxwell Foxman View titles by Maxwell Foxman

About

Why games are still niche and not mainstream, and how journalism can help them gain cultural credibility.

Mainstreaming and Game Journalism addresses both the history and current practice of game journalism, along with the roles writers and industry play in conveying that the medium is a “mainstream” form of entertainment. Through interviews with reporters, David B. Nieborg and Maxwell Foxman retrace how the game industry and journalists started a subcultural spiral in the 1980s that continues to this day. Digital play became increasingly exclusionary by appealing to niche audiences, relying on hardcore fans and favoring the male gamer stereotype. At the same time, this culture pushed journalists to the margins, leaving them toiling to find freelance gigs and deeply ambivalent about their profession.

Mainstreaming and Game Journalism also examines the bumpy process of what we think of as “mainstreaming.” The authors argue that it encompasses three overlapping factors. First, for games to become mainstream, they need to become more ubiquitous through broader media coverage. Second, an increase in ludic literacy, or how-to play games, determines whether that greater visibility translates into accessibility. Third, the mainstreaming of games must gain cultural legitimacy. The fact that games are more visible does little if only a few people take them seriously or deem them worthy of attention. Ultimately, Mainstreaming and Game Journalism provocatively questions whether games ever will—or even should—gain widespread cultural acceptance.

Table of Contents

On Thinking Playfully vii
1 Introduction: "Shall I Explain the Game?" 1
2 Moving Away from the Mainstream 31
3 Passionate Experts 59
4 The Many Streams of Game Journalism 85
5 What It's Actually About 115
6 Conclusion: Mainstream Is a Verb 139
Notes 159
Bibliography 187
Index 203

Author

David B. Nieborg is Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Toronto. He is the coauthor of Platforms and Cultural Production with Thomas Poell and Brooke Erin Duffy.

Maxwell Foxman is Assistant Professor of Media Studies and Game Studies at the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon.
David B. Nieborg View titles by David B. Nieborg
Maxwell Foxman View titles by Maxwell Foxman

Additional formats

Other books in this series

Related Articles

Books for Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month
Literature History Sociology

Books for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month

Penguin Random House Education is proud to celebrate Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs annually from September 15th through October 15th.  We are highlighting the works of our authors and illustrators from the Latinx and Hispanic community, whose stories and characters have a profound impact on our society. Here is a collection of titles

Read more

Books for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month

Literature History Sociology
Subscribe

About Higher Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

About Higher Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Higher Education
    Wish List (0)