Learning the Language of Games

Abstract

When people ask me what I do for a living I give my answer in phases. I start with the vague, though technically accurate, answer that I am a PhD student. When this invariably leaves my questioner unsatisfied the second question follows swiftly: “Well what are you studying?” again I will dissemble and answer that I study literature. This answer satisfies many and I breathe a sigh of relief, but for some this is still too vague. When pressed on what kind of literature I offer up my last line of defence and answer that the specific object of my research is video games. For those who have already pursued the question this far, it is of course unthinkable that they not pursue it further, especially after so sudden and unexpected a twist. Broken and defeated, I am left with no other choice than to answer their questions in detail ...