Looking for an article about unspoken assumptions in video games

December 17, 2024 12:51 AM

I remember running across an article or two a couple of years ago that discussed unspoken assumptions or cultural conventions in modern video games. The main focus was about how there are conventions and tropes in modern video games that developers just assume everyone knows, and how people who hadn't grown up gaming had a steep learning curve getting to grips with them. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

I seem to remember it was linked here on MeFi, but it's not in my favourites, and it hasn't turned up in my searching. Of course, that could just be my assumption that if I read something cool, then of course I found it through a link on here. I'm not sure if these were scholarly articles or more pop articles (or a mix of both). I recall that the author(s) made an analogy to culture shock at visiting a foreign country. Of course, I'd be happy to get pointers to any articles or papers on this theme, even if it's not the exact one I have a vague memory of reading.

posted by penguinicity to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (3 answers total)

Best answer: I know you said article, but on the off-chance you misremembered, there’s this video: What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games, and some other follow-up ones on specific titles from the same channel.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:31 AM on December 17, 2024 [16 favorites]

Reminds me of The Door Problem, which is apparently older than I thought.
posted by sagc at 5:45 AM on December 17, 2024 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Bloxworth Snout has it - it wasn't an essay it was a video. The Door Problem is an interesting read, too.
posted by penguinicity at 9:03 AM on December 17, 2024