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AGAINST FLOW: VIDEO GAMES AND THE FLOWING SUBJECT

Braxton Soderman



 

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.

 

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE

BINDING

EDITION

ISBN

YEAR

PAGES

English

Hardcover


9781539103189

2021

321

English

eBook


N/A

2021

321

 

TAGS


Authors/Illustrators: #BraxtonSoderman

Publishers: #MITPress (The MIT Press)

Languages: #English

Year: #Year2021

Genres: #GameStudies


Companies:

N/A


Public Figures:

N/A


Games:

#Archon (Archon: The Light and the Dark)

#Astrosmash (Astrosmash)

#Celeste (Celested)

#DinerDash (Diner Dash)

#DonutCounty (Donut County)

#flOw (flOw) #GodHand (God Hand)

#HalfLife (Half-Life)

#Hellblade (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)

#LittleInferno (Little Inferno)

#Portal (Portal)

#Psychonauts (Psychonauts, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin)

#TheStanleyParable (The Stanley Parable)

#ThisIsTheOnlyLevel (This Is the Only Level, This Is the Only Level TOO)

#WorldOfGoo (World of Goo)

#YetAnotherExhaustingDay (Yet Another Exhausting Day)


Misc:

N/A

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