Contested Convergence and the Politics of Play on GameTrailers.com

Abstract

As a hobby and as an industry, gaming is growing. The impetus for this growth is convergence, specifically technological, content, and market convergence. But gamers might contest this convergence, insofar as it blends “genres of participation.” Gaming has long been dominated by the “hardcore” who “geek out” over their favorite titles. However, a recent influx of “casual” games, which encourage “hanging out” means a split in resources. In order to investigate the contestation this might inspire, I analyzed discussions on the site GameTrailers.com. The site features both producer and fan discourse on the state of the videogame industry. On GameTrailers, the debate over convergence comes down to its driving focus: audience convergence. The industry’s goal is to create products that bring together a wider range of consumers. Differing perspectives on the worth and outcome of this audience convergence lead to political contestation.