Videogames: Glossary of Terms

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The visual representation or embodiment of the game player on the screen.

Backstory
Videogames often have a brief story section at the start of the game to justify the scenario that the player finds him/herself in.

Beat-‘em-ups
A genre of videogame in which the key objective is for the player to beat up various opponents, the opponents can be defeated in a number of ways. This is a diverse and very popular genre, most beat-‘em-ups will have a multi-player mode on them.

Convergence
In the context of videogames it is the way in which platform developers have moved towards consoles being multi-functional. For example, instead of having three or four different devices to enable consumers to browse the internet, play a videogame and watch a DVD all of these activities can now be done by one piece of technology such as the Wii which is a games console, social-networking tool and internet browser. The downside to this process is that with the increase of multiple functions many of the converged devices are not as good at the individual functions, for example a games console is not as good at playing DVDs as a standalone DVD player.

Cutscenes
The term used to describe scenes in videogames in which the player doesn’t have any control over. They often contain narrative information to justify the forthcoming section or level of the game. Some cutscenes can be extremely detailed to help develop the narrative. Players can find that cutscenes obstruct the process of gameplaying.

Developers
The teams that create the videogames (the software that runs on consoles, PCs and handhelds). Developers may be ‘first party’ (directly owned by a platform holder), ‘second party’ where there is some platform holder support or funding, or ‘third party’ who are unaffiliated with the platform holder.

Distributors and Retailers
The role of the distributor is to get videogames to retailers in order to sell to consumers. As the majority of videogames are currently distributed in physical form (ie on CD, DVD or cartridge), this means getting game boxes onto retailers’ shelves or to warehouses. However, recent moves within the industry have pointed to the increased use of electronic distribution with extra levels or even whole games being downloadable.

First-person shooters
A genre of videogame in which the player’s view is first person, this means that the player does not see his or her character during play sequences. The key gameplay element is to shoot things. Often the game will allow the player to use a light gun as a controller.

Interactivity
A slippery term that is used in many contexts. In videogames, interactivity refers to the player’s ability to exercise control over the action presented onscreen by taking control of a character, piloting a spaceship or driving a car, for example. Interactivity is ooone of the defining features of videogames and they are often called ‘interactive entertainment’, although many parts of the games, such as cutscenes, do not allow such ‘interactive’ control over events.

Killer app (killer application)
The name given to a key piece of software associated with a particular piece of hardware that will help drive sales due to its popularity. An example of a killer app most recently is Brain Training on the Nintendo DS, which has boosted sales and attracted a new generation of older gamers to the console.

MMORPG
This refers to Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games, for example, Second Life or Club Penguin.

Mod/Modder
Mods are literally ‘modifications’ to games that change their appearance, structure or level design, for example, but that usually leaves the underlying gameplay and mechanics intact. Most common in the world of PC games, the practice of modding relies on free ‘mod tools’ released by game developers. Most mod tools are distributed freely but their use is governed by End User License Agreements (EULAs), which usually prohibit modders or mod teams from selling their creations for commercial gain.

Platform Holders
Platform holders manufacture the hardware on which videogames run. The three main companies at present are Sony who manufacture the PlayStation series, Microsoft who produce the Xbox series, and Nintendo who produce the Wii, GameCube, Game Boy and Nintendo DS.

Publishers
Publishers provide money and support for the development teams who create videogames. Ubisoft and SCI (incorporating Eidos) in the UK, as well as Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, Nintendo and Electronic Arts are among the larger videogame publishers.

Ratings bodies
Videogames, like other media, are subject to classification and age rating. While practice differs throughout the world, the UK operates a two-tier system within the voluntary guidelines of the European PEGI (Pan European Games Information) system and the mandatory BBFC regulations as determined by the Video Recordings Act of 1984.

RPG – Role Playing Games
A role-playing game is a videogame where the player controls one or all of the characters, and wins the game by completing a series of quests. A key feature of the genre is that characters grow in power and abilities, and characters are typically designed by the player. Players explore a game world, while solving puzzles and engaging in tactical combat.

Simulation
The deliberate artificial imitation of an experience, or a process, with the intention of making the imitation as close as possible to the ‘real thing’. Often used for training purposes where it is not possible to access the real experience.

Synergy
The basic definition of synergy is the interaction of two or more forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. In the context of the media it is the promotion and sale of a product (and all its versions) throughout the various subsidiaries of a media conglomerate, for example, films, soundtracks or video games. To give a detailed example the Spider-Man films had toys of webshooters and figures of the characters made, as well as posters and videogames, this resulted in the creation of more revenue for the creators of the Spider-Man franchise than if they had just released the one film.

Sources:
McDougall , Julian & O'Brien, Wayne (2008) Studying Videogames London: Auteur Publishing
Newman, James & Oram, Barney (2006) Teaching Video Games London: Bfi Publishing