ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the reader to the examination of play in Japanese videogame arcades, or game centres, as the result of player negotiations between software rules, material conditions, and space. It first presents an overview of the state of the Japanese videogame arcade industry, as well as the function of game centres as a third space within the Japanese urban fabric. This is followed by a reflection on the state of Japanese videogame culture as a field of study, as well as the place of arcade play as situated phenomena within this cultural setting.
The chapter also presents the particularities of the data acquisition and analysis method used in the study, which emphasizes distant observation and the creation of maps that help better trace players and observers’ trajectories and understand the spatial structures of the venues. Finally, after an introduction of the three different game centres examined as field studies, the chapter provides an overview of the materials discussed in each chapter of the book.
