The Interface as Liminal
The Interface as Liminal
With point of departure in interviews with players and designers, the chapter discusses the game interface as a liminal concept and argues that it must be understood as part of the content of the game rather than as part of the medium. Game information is often a borderline feature that may address a ludic as well as a fictional level at the same time. Frame analysis is used to distinguish between different representational forms as well as different interpretations of the gameworld interface. It is argued that the acceptance of game system information as part of the gameworld environment is based on taking on a specific ludic mindset. The idea that interface features are part of the convention of digital games is explored through a discussion of meta-references in games and other media. It is argued that meta-references have a particular status in digital games compared to traditional media because of their interactional properties.
Keywords: liminality, framing, meta-references, fictional information, ludic information
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