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Just Fun and Games? A Sociological Consideration of Fun in Video Games

Crawford, Garry; Brock, Tom

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Authors

Tom Brock



Abstract

The concept of “fun” is widely used within the game design and game studies literature, and is frequently highlighted as a key component of good game design, as well as a key factor in why people play games. However, it is a term rarely unpacked, and fun in video games remains relatively underresearched, certainly in comparison to other associated terms such as “play.” This article therefore provides a much-needed sociological exploration of a term at the center of games design and studies, and moreover, argues, that doing so allows us to explore a range of important and related topics, such as the changing relationship between work and leisure and the blurring of fun and no-fun boundaries, as well as enabling us to delineate between often interchangeably used terms, such as happiness, enjoyment, and pleasure.

Citation

Crawford, G., & Brock, T. (2024). Just Fun and Games? A Sociological Consideration of Fun in Video Games. Games and Culture, https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120241254876

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 26, 2024
Online Publication Date May 22, 2024
Publication Date May 22, 2024
Deposit Date Apr 29, 2024
Publicly Available Date May 22, 2024
Journal Games and Culture
Print ISSN 1555-4120
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120241254876
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/home/GAC

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