Prelims
The Corruption of Play: Mapping the Ideological Play-Space of AAA Videogames
ISBN: 978-1-80117-737-5, eISBN: 978-1-80117-736-8
Publication date: 13 October 2022
Citation
McMahon, C. (2022), "Prelims", The Corruption of Play: Mapping the Ideological Play-Space of AAA Videogames, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-ix. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-736-820221011
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022 Christopher McMahon
Half Title Page
The Corruption of Play
Title Page
The Corruption of Play: Mapping the Ideological Play-Space of AAA Videogames
BY
CHRISTOPHER MCMAHON
University of Liverpool, UK
United Kingdom – North America – Japan India – Malaysia – China
Copyright Page
Emerald Publishing Limited
Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK
First edition 2022
Copyright © 2022 Christopher McMahon.
Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-80117-737-5 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-80117-736-8 (Online)
ISBN: 978-1-80117-738-2 (Epub)
Contents
| About the Author | ix |
| Introduction | 1 |
| The State of Play | 6 |
| The Argument | 12 |
| Overview of Chapters | 16 |
| Chapter 1: Play | 19 |
| It’s in the Game | 19 |
| Play for the Sake of it | 32 |
| Chapter 2: Neoliberalism | 43 |
| Understanding Neoliberalism | 46 |
| The Cult of Work and the Entrepreneurial Self | 52 |
| The Neoliberalisation of Play | 57 |
| Why Oppose Neoliberalism | 61 |
| Chapter 3: Cognitive Mapping | 65 |
| Developing a Critical Approach | 68 |
| Cognitive Mapping | 69 |
| The Entrepreneurial Player and the Cult of Gaming | 75 |
| Chapter 4: Identity | 79 |
| Maps and Menus: What Can I Do? And How Can I Do It? | 85 |
| Space is Waste | 90 |
| When I’m Dead, Just Throw Me in the Trash! | 95 |
| Chapter 5: Agency | 101 |
| Non-playable Characters and Level Progression: What Am I Doing This? And What Do I Get Out Of It? | 105 |
| Another Settlement Needs Your Help | 110 |
| Glitches Get Stitches | 113 |
| Chapter 6: Consumption | 117 |
| Downloadable Content and Microtransactions: How Can I Play More? And How Can I Play Better? | 121 |
| Credits Will Do Fine | 129 |
| I’m Trying to Teach the Baby to Gamble | 131 |
| Conclusions | 137 |
| All That Is Solid Melts into VR | 139 |
| Ludography | 143 |
| Bibliography | 145 |
| Index | 161 |
Dedication Page
For Colette and Charlotte
About the Author
Christopher McMahon completed his Doctoral thesis at the University of Liverpool in 2020. His research covers neoliberalism, ideological components of the videogame medium, and the mediation of football. He is currently a Lecturer in Digital Media and Culture at the University of Liverpool.