ABSTRACT
It is curious to note that scholars in the field rarely consider the structure of videogames and, as a consequence, it is poorly understood. This is unfortunate as the implications of videogame structure are considerable. An understanding of the ways in which videogames are assembled, presented and experienced is extremely revealing and adds considerably to the identification and analysis of the audiences for gaming and, importantly, greatly assists in defining what it is to ‘play’ a videogame and the nature of activity/interactivity. As such, the discussion that follows here foreshadows issues that are revisited in more detail in subsequent chapters. The aim of this chapter is to highlight some frequently overlooked or misunderstood principles of videogames so as to provide a foundation upon which to build our analysis. Key among these is a (re)evaluation of the significance of the cut-scene.
