Tijdschrift voor Mediageschiedenis

Computerspellen zijn een geïntegreerd onderdeel geworden van de hedendaagse populaire cultuur. Ze vormen ook een industrie die wat budgettering betreft die van de filmwereld overstijgt. Diezelfde filmwereld is tegenwoordig echter nauw verknoopt met de computerspellenindustrie zoals hij dat eerder was met de grammofoonplaten - en later de cd-branche. Films leiden dikwijls tot computerspellen en games leiden tot films. In 2001 werd in West-Europa 6 7 miljard euro uitgegeven aan computerspellen tegen 4 9 miljard voor bioscoopkaartjes en 2 4 miljoen voor huurvideo's. In datzelfde jaar bedroeg de wereldwijde omzet van computerspellen 18 1 miljard euro.1 PricewaterhouseCoopers voorspelt dat dit getal zal oplopen tot 35 miljard euro in 2007. Het commerciële computerspel is daarmee in een periode van 33 jaar uitgegroeid van speelhalamusement naar massamedium en van <i>nichemarkt</i> tot het snelst groeiende entertainmentproduct van dit moment. Het werd kortom tijd om daar ook eens vanuit <i>TMG</i> het oog op te richten

A few years ago computer games became an academic field of media research and theory. Since then historians have been working on a thorough history of gaming. This article tracks computer gaming from its earliest conception through its highs such as the 'Golden Age' and its lows such as the financial crash that followed the Golden Age. It aims to create a clearer picture of the biggest platforms and companies in the industry and the technological breakthroughs that were accomplished. Although most of this history centres on technology some important games and developers are also reviewed. The article concludes with a view of the future of both the industry and academic game research

Computer games are as a relatively new genre of games highly contested and they have instigated heated debates and polarised opinions. This paper analyses the ongoing debate about their cultural meaning a debate in which historical comparison figures prominently often to underline that these new games have negative social implications. The starting point is Robert Edward Davis's careful rhetorical study of the various arguments that have accompanied the introduction of new media in the past. The article aims to put the introduction of computer games in a historical perspective and to underline the fact that the players themselves - despite the widely made claim that computer games have a negative influence on them - who often play an active role in the development and shaping of computer games

Games and simulations are increasingly developed and used by the United States military. By appropriating and adapting successful commercial techniques the military is contributing to specific areas of research and development and at the same time tapping into popular culture. The result of this is a growing interaction between computer games the representation of recent conflicts and the news discourse. This claim is backed by the analysis of several First-Person Shooter games and user-created modifications and by a review of the research on the representation of war. The same games that are used to prepare soldiers for war serve as entertainment for gamers who are eager to experience virtual battle. The First-Person Shooter game america's army is a logical outcome of this development and is an example of the successful linking of the entertainment and defence industries

The history of adventure games is not as well documented in computer game overviews as other game types. This paper addresses this problem by focussing on the earliest history of computer adventure games. It discusses in detail the two cultural phenomena that preceded the adventure game: the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the role playing game dungeons and dragons and shows how the adventure game is indebted to both. Furthermore it relates how the early text adventure games gradually evolved to become the graphic adventures that are now commonly available. Finally it looks briefly at the fascination with the Middle Ages which is specifically apparent in this type of game and in the (<i>Massively Multiplayer</i>) <i>Role Playing Games</i> that stem from it

Through an analysis of the horror game doom 3 (2004) and its heritage this essay addresses the topic of games and their history arguing that their reliance on past sources does not detract from their uniqueness. The creators of games like doom 3 deliberately place their creations within a rich diverse tapestry of media history which can be external to the computer game medium but also from within it. The visual references and themes of all three doom games oscillate across a variety of genres and media. In doom 3 media conventions and past techniques are synthesised in order to transcend or perfect those techniques. The story that doom 3 has to tell is one that critically engages with issues of originality 'creative processes' and technological advancement in gaming culture. Framing themselves within their own media history therefore games like doom 3 invade the player's space in deceptively real and immediately experimental ways

In this critical overview four recent studies of computer games are discussed and compared. First Steven L. Kent's <i>The Ultimate History of Videogames</i> (2001) which gives an insight into the daily practice of the video gaming industry and all that is linked to it. In Rusel DeMaria & Johnny L. Wilson's <i>High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games</i> (2004) about 200 different games are discussed in detail. This is done in chronological order but with thematic excursions supplying a treasure of (visual) information as a result of which it has become a reference book. The other two publications are clearly of a more scientific approach and the video game is seen to be a cultural and societal object. In <i>Trigger Happy. The Inner Life of Videogames</i> (2002) Steven Poole analyses the various parts of the computer game (cinematic character storyline graphic aspects) in an effort to determine why some games are received better than others. Lastly James Newman's <i>Videogames</i> (2004) is a thorough introduction to the world of video gaming. He describes the industry and how it has developed over the past few decades into one of large studios that employ specialists

Bij computerspellen bestaat er een indeling in zowel <i>speltype</i> (uitgaande van de interactieve handelingen) als in <i>inhoud </i> (vergelijkbaar met filmgenres). Daarbij fungeert het speltype altijd als hoofdklasse en is het 'genre' ondergeschikt. De indeling van de speltypen is niet gestandaardiseerd zodat zowel spelontwerpers (zoals Domenic Stansburry) als onderzoekers (zoals Steven Poole) vaak hun eigen indeling hanteren terwijl de industrie de voorkeur geeft aan weer een andere indeling. Toch is er een aantal speltypen dat in meerdere categoriseringen gebruikt wordt

De schrijver en journalist Louis-Sébastien Mercier een van de scherpzinnigste contemporaine observatoren van de Franse Revolutie concludeerde in 1798 dat de straten van Parijs waren vergeven van de krantendrukkerijen. Achter de ramen zag de voorbijganger overal journalisten zitten; haastig schrijvend maar vaak ook driftig knippend en plakkend uit andere bladen om hun dagelijkse kolommen vol te krijgen. De pers werd door tijdgenoten als een van de belangrijkste motoren van de revolutie beschouwd. Voor een groot deel droeg zij de openbaarheid (<i>public sphere</i>) waarin het debat over de vorm en inrichting van staat en samenleving plaatsvond. De periodieke articulatie in kranten van het revolutionaire ideaal en het revolutionaire begrippenkader maakte de politieke en sociale veranderingen aan het eind van de achttiende eeuw denkbaar en mogelijk. De publieke opinie een ander begrip dat in het laatste kwart van dit centennium opgang deed werd in toenemende mate een mobiliserende kracht

De filmtijdschriften zijn in te zien in de bibliotheek van het Nederlands Filmmuseum in Amsterdam de andere tijdschriften in de meeste universiteitsbibliotheken