Game Work: Language, Power, and Computer Game Culture

Acknowledgments

Most academic projects, I imagine, seem a little bit strange—abstract yet highly focused—to the communities of which their authors are a part. For example, as an avid caver I was often acutely aware that my friends in the local chapter of the National Speleological Society were being remarkably supportive of me even though they didn’t entirely understand why studying computer games was an important scholarly undertaking. Similarly, many of my academic colleagues—Theresa Enos, Tom Miller, Ed White, Roxanne Mountford, and Amy Kimme-Hae in particular—were very gracious about the fact that while their work took them to illustrious manuscript archives around the world, required them to pore over Latin, Greek, German, and French texts, and to untangle the knots inherent in the history of rhetoric and composition, my research took me to video arcades around the world, required me to learn the languages of the PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube, and Dreamcast, and to untangle the knots inherent in the design of games like Oddworld, Halo, and Dance, Dance, Revolution. I could not have written Game Work without the help and support of many people, some of whom worked with me on my ideas and prose, while others helped me to stay engaged with the world beyond my research.Among the former group, ¤rst and foremost were Judd Ruggill, David Menchaca, Ron Scott, Lonni Pearce, Ryan Moeller, Jeffrey Reed, and Bryan Pearce. These friends spent innumerable hours talking with me, helping me to re¤ne my analyses of the computer game complex, and offering ruthless critiques of my writing (to paraphrase Marx). It is no exaggeration to say that without their help you would not be reading this book today. I was fortunate, too, to have friends who despite their own very busy research schedules made time to listen and support me in mine: John Warnock, Acknowledgments Tilly Warnock, Larry Evers, M. J. Braun, Cathy Chaput, Jill McCracken, Hale Thomas, Alison Miller, Lourdes Canto, Stephanie Pearman, Susan Bouldin, Danika Brown, Jim Sosnoski, Bryan Carter, Marcelo Milrad, Barry Brummett , Chuck Tatum, Reeve Huston, Jerry Gill, Mari Sori, Nina and Sam Dellaria , and all of the graduate students with whom I’ve worked. John Lucaites, Daniel Waterman, and Jill Hughes also offered immeasurably helpful suggestions for re¤ningmyargumentandprose.Without exception,these friends and colleagues helped me clarify my objectives and, in the midst of a subject that threatens to overwhelm at every turn, to keep my focus. I’m also grateful to the people who, while they may not have read drafts of the manuscript or helped me “research” the classic games subculture, did help keep my life balanced between work and play. Andy McCune, Scott Street, Marshal Vest, and Randy Mayer were the best banjo buddies I could hope for, always knowing just when to insist that I get away from the computer screen and pick up my ¤ve-string. I’m grateful as well to Dennis and Rebecca O’Sullivan, Steve Smith, Lang Brod, Ron and Kathy Dehn, Judy and Marion Vittetoe, Jean-Paul Jorquera, Joanne Staley, Henry Truebe, Joe and Mike Gallardo, Brett Cook, Dave and Phyllis Hamer, Sue McCready, Jerry Orcutt, and all the rest of the gang in the Escabrosa Grotto who asked that I use some of my energies to help nurture southern Arizona caves and the caving community. I’m grateful, too, for all the love and support of my near and extended family: Susan Reggin; Amanda, Rich, and Jacob Paige; Amiee Reggin; Cheryl and Will Rennick; Don and Dianne Nisbett; Jennifer, Bob, Madison, and Michael James; Kim,Charlie,Josh,and Ashley Woods; Alice and John Srubas; Jon Srubas; Amy Srubas; Michael Giammanco; Ellis and Kendall SrubasGiammanco ; Mike Perkovich; Ralph Johnson; Sam and Joel Pearce; Julie, Jacob, and Noah Moeller; Rose Taul; Jean Bronson; Melanie Sethney; and all the monks at the Benedictine Monastery of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (Tucson, Arizona) and at Christ in the Desert Monastery (Abiquiu, New Mexico). Thanks to you all for believing in me. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Rachel Srubas. Even though she’d never played a computer game in her life, she had the vision to see the importance of studying them as cultural artifacts with transformative potential. Such clear vision, coupled with her perception of the relationships among language , politics, and play, has been a great gift to me, both as a scholar and as a human being. With all that I have, Rachel, and all that I am, I dedicate...