Here are some difficult questions, how does your theorizing answer them?
Why do people play RPGs, rather than more traditional, social games?
Why did RPGs produce such a popular mold for re-use, especially in computer games?
What portions of a game text is translated into play? And how are those portions selected?
Are there any classes of people who would never be able to effectively play RPGs?
How do RPGs affect us after we play them, in the short and the long term?
Many of these subjects were actually under academic scrutiny and discussion on March 30-31, at the international Seminar on Playing Roles organized by the University of Tampere. (http://gamelab.uta.fi/rpg-seminar) Keep a close eye on what that event will produce as the papers unfold in edited, reviewed form.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, that seminar was definitely the most interesting thing to happen on the field of rpg theory for quite some time.