Against Flow: Video Games and the Flowing Subject
- Length: 328 pages
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- Publisher: The MIT Press
- Publication Date: 2021-04-13
- ISBN-10: 0262045508
- ISBN-13: 9780262045506
- Sales Rank: #769868 (See Top 100 Books)
A critical discussion of the experience and theory of flow (as conceptualized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) in video games.
Flow–as conceptualized by the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi–describes an experience of “being in the zone,” of intense absorption in an activity. It is a central concept in the study of video games, although often applied somewhat uncritically. In Against Flow, Braxton Soderman takes a step back and offers a critical assessment of flow’s historical, theoretical, political, and ideological contexts in relation to video games. With close readings of games that implement and represent flow, Soderman not only evaluates the concept of flow in terms of video games but also presents a general critique of flow and its sibling, play.
Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Complicating Flow and Play: The Dog, the Cat, the Mouse, and the Lizard Bringing Flow to the Masses Interpreting Flow A Critical Approach to Flow and Play Against Flow: An Overview of the Book 1 An Introduction to the Ideology of Flow Flow as an Individual Alternative to Collective Consciousness and Action Consciousness Regained: The Flowing Subject Growth as the Key to Flow Video Games and the Growth of the Self Flow and the Reduction of Critical Consciousness Conclusion: Flow and Ideology 2 Flow, Alienation, and the Politics of Enjoyment Get Over It! The Cause of Relentless Self-Criticism Let Your Troubles Flow Away: Overcoming Self-Criticism Celeste: “You’ve Got This!” or Flow as Coping Hellblade: Focusing on the Causes of Suffering and Alienation Psychonauts: The Healing Powers of Normalized Play Conclusion 3 Streams of Consumption: Video Games and Televisual Flow Television: The Opposite of Psychological Flow? The Planned Flow of Video Games: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Extending the Duration of Play and Media Consumption Undeclared and Unnoticed Rules DDA and Personalization Conclusion 4 Flow, Play, and Critical Distance The Absorption of Critical Distance and the Quieting of Critique Portal: Video Games as Critical Instances The Stanley Parable: Critiquing Playfulness The Beginner’s Guide: A Coda and Conclusion 5 Playfulness Untamed: Innovation, Play, and Flow in Independent Games Playfulness Tamed, or No Room for Play Playfulness Untamed, or the Joys of the Ludic Independent Games: Renovation, Not Innovation To Flow or Not to Flow: Breaking Immersion Conclusion: Beyond Playfulness Conclusion: The Critical Futures of Flow Flow beyond Games: Digital Media Culture Articulating and Interpreting Flow in Games New Architectures of Critical Flow Social Flow as Critical Flow Diversifying Flow Understanding Culture through Flow and Games The Critical, Play, and Flow Notes Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Conclusion References Index
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