Gamification of Everything in Today's Culture

Annotated Bibliography

Research Question

How have video games progressed in terms of narrative, player engagement, and societal impact, and what implications does this progression have for the future of gaming and its influence on society?

Annotated Bibliography

Hon, Adrian. You've Been Played: How Corporations, Governments and Schools Use Games to

Control Us All. Swift Press, 2022.

Hon's work goes deep into the concept of gamification and how it has been used by various parties to influence behavior and how people think. Hon looks at gamification across multiple sectors—how government has gamified society, how businesses have gamified the workplace, how schools have gamified education, how Google has gamified using the Internet, and so on. The point is that gamification is not just something restricted to actual video games; it is a phenomenon that has permeated all aspects of society, with fundamental consequences, too. In relation to my research question, Hon provides an important and critical perspective on the social impact of gamification, especially when it is being used as a tool for control, for private profits, or for manipulation. The book gives many insights into how games can be designed to elicit specific responses from players, which can be both beneficial and detrimental to society, to the extent that these insights are exploited for interests that are not in the common good.

Chu, Andrea Long. "The Last of Us Is Not a Video-Game Adaptation." Vulture, 2023.

Chu's article challenges the traditional notions of video game adaptations, using "The Last of Us" as a case study. The article shows that video game narratives have come a long way since the days of Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat. The TV adaptation of the game The Last of Us indicates that great drama can be found within the gaming narratives of today. This article is relevant to the research question as it describes the changing nature of video game storytelling and its potential to influence social perceptions of what constitutes a meaningful narrative. It shows that respect for narrative, respect for story-telling, and respect for drama still have a vital role in game playing and in game-to-TV or film adaptations.

Hocking, Clint. "Ludonarrative Dissonance in Bioshock." Click Nothing, 2007.

Hocking introduces the concept of "ludonarrative dissonance," a term used to describe the conflict between a video game's narrative and its gameplay mechanics. Hocking uses "Bioshock" as an example of a great game with a bad narrative. Dissatisfied with the rules of the game and how they seem to violate the player’s own sense of agency, he discusses how gameplay choices can sometimes undermine or contradict the story being told within the game, forcing the player to make a choice between abandoning the game or finishing out merely out of a sense of duty rather than pleasure. This source is important for the research question because it touches on the challenge of applying narrative to gameplay in a way makes sense for and entices actual players and keeps them interested in the game. Without proper regard for the player’s reason, the game could end up alienating them and turning them off.