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

Crawford, Garry; Brock, Tom

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