The Semiotics of Video Games

The “Semiotics of Video Games” miscellany is a project that I’m preparing with Patrick Coppock from the Game Philosophy Research initiative in Italy. It will bring together texts and artworks from various authors exploring signs and symbols in video games. The collection will make an account of how the video games symbolism results from and influences back the mediation of reality.

The texts and artworks will be published on this website and presented at a series of philosophical-artistic-academic events. More details about the project will be published in June. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to submit one of your works for the compilation.

We will consider any type of text and artwork as long as they question the relation between signs and symbols in video games and the perception of reality: academic and philosophical texts, poetry, video games (originals or modded), videos (machinimas or fakes), interventions in the ‘real’ world (such as street art, pixel art, performances) to give just few examples.

We have also created a facebook page for people who wish to exchange their thoughts on the subject. Please join the group if you would like to participate.

References:

• “Computer Games, between Text and Practice“, edited by Dario Compagno and Patrick Coppock
• “Gamer Theory” by McKenzie Wark, read few quotations from his book.
• “Persuasive Games” by Ian Bogost, read few quotations from his book
• “Video Game Spaces” by Michael Nitsche, read few quotations from his book.