A concept of game is justified and unfolded that revolves around the lure and threat of the unexpected. The author duo places their theory of ludic action in classical concepts of the game as well as in the current discourse of game studies.

Function and stubbornness of the game.- The game discourse: points of consensus, contact, counterpoint.- Variations and transformations of the game.- Expansions and corruptions of the game.- Modern game spaces and the Ludic basic feeling of digital culture.

A concept of game is justified and developed that revolves around the lure and threat of the unexpected. The author duo places their theory of ludic action in classical concepts of the game as well as in the current discourse of game studies. The phenomenal multiplicity of games is outlined in historical perspective and structured in a systematic manner. The authors explain the media-technical and communicative preconditions of the computer game boom and reflect on the discussion about escalations of ludic violence. The instrumentalization of games, which is becoming increasingly popular under the heading of gamification, is critically examined. The conspicuous inflation of the game metaphor is brought into connection with ludic connotations in the social structures of modern and digital society.The contentThe social function and intrinsic nature of play· Variations and transformations of the game· Playing in the digital sandbox· Gamification hype, pedagogical and economic colonizations· Modern play spaces: On the ludic basic feeling of digital cultureThe authorsFabian Arlt, M. A., studied media management and is doing his doctorate in social and business communication at the University of the Arts (UdK) in Berlin.Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Arlt is a social scientist and publicist, he teaches at the Institute for Theory and Practice of Communication at the University of the Arts (UdK) in Berlin.This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.

On the instrumentalization of games through pedagogy, gamification and a globally expanding games industry How does digitalization make games more realistic and realities more playful? For a better understanding of and for players, audience and their observers

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