Digital Seriality: Code & Community in the Super Mario Modding Scene

TL;DR

This analysis explores the phenomenon of seriality in games and gaming communities, utilizing digital humanities methods to study the interplay between code, social structures, and community building.

Transcript

so welcome everyone to another quarter of games and interactive media we now do this seminar series for the sixth quarter i think great turnout increasing every quarter more people come that's great at the beginning I want to thank a few people who help organizing first of all Henry Lobot who is there who always finds great speakers and then Martha... Read More

Key Insights

• 👾 Seriality in games extends beyond game franchises to include repetition and variation within individual games, contributing to community building.
• 👾 Digital humanities methods, such as distant reading and visualization, offer valuable tools for analyzing seriality in games.
• 👨‍💻 Code level analysis is essential for understanding the social superstructure of serial collectivity in gaming communities.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is seriality in games?

Seriality in games refers to the process of creating game series and franchises, where games are connected through sequels, spin-offs, tie-ins, and other forms of continuation.

Q: How does seriality manifest in gaming communities?

Seriality in gaming communities goes beyond just game series. It involves social processes of community building among fans and repetitive and varied elements within individual games, such as game levels and recycled code.

Q: How can digital humanities tools help analyze seriality in games?

Digital humanities tools, such as distant reading and visualization techniques, can provide insights into the processes and connections of seriality. These tools allow for the analysis of large collections of fan-based game modifications and reveal otherwise invisible patterns.

Q: What is the significance of code in understanding seriality?

Code plays a crucial role in seriality as it contains traces of the social superstructure of serial collectivity. Code level analysis can reveal the influences and connections between different modders and gaming communities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• This analysis explores the reality and serialization processes in games and gaming communities, focusing on digital humanities approaches.

• It considers the different levels of seriality in games, from franchise sequels to repetition and variation within individual games.

• The analysis focuses on the modding scene around Super Mario Brothers as a case study, using automated reading and visualization to uncover patterns and connections.