Game poems : : videogame design as lyric practice / / Jordan Magnuson.

• VerfasserIn: Magnuson, Jordan,
• Place / Publishing House: Amherst : : Amherst College Press,, [2023]; ©2023
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

"Scholars, critics, and creators describe certain videogames as being "poetic," yet what that means or why it matters is rarely discussed. In Game Poems: Videogame Design as Lyric Practice, independent game designer Jordan Magnuson explores the convergences between game making and lyric poetry and makes the surprising proposition that videogames can operate as a kind of poetry apart from any reliance on linguistic signs or symbols. This rigorous and accessible short book first examines characteristics of lyric poetry and explores how certain videogames can be appreciated more fully when read in light of the lyric tradition-that is, when read as "game poems." Magnuson then lays groundwork for those wishing to make game poems in practice, providing practical tips and pointers along with tools and resources. Rather than propose a monolithic framework or draw a sharp line between videogame poems and poets and their nonpoetic counterparts, Game Poems brings to light new insights for videogames and for poetry by promoting creative dialogue between disparate fields. The result is a lively account of poetic game-making praxis"-- Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction. Why Poetry as a Lens for Videogames? -- Part I. What Is a "Game Poem"? -- Chapter 1. Thinking in Terms of Lyric Poetry -- Chapter 2. Game Poems are Short -- Chapter 3. Game Poems are Subjective -- Chapter 4. Game Poems Make Use of Poetic Address -- Chapter 5. Game Poems Exist in a Ritual Space Rather Than a Narrative Space -- Chapter 6. Game Poems are Hyperbolic -- Chapter 7. Game Poems are Bound to Metaphor and Ambiguous Imagery -- Chapter 8. Game Poems Juxtapose Signified Meaning With Material Meaning -- Chapter 9. The Value of Identifying Game Poems -- Part II. Making Game Poems in Practice -- Chapter 10. What is the Material of the Videogame Poet? -- Chapter 11. Thinking in Terms of Language and Signifiers -- Chapter 12. One Vision of Poetic Intervention -- Chapter 13. Recasting the Language of Videogames -- Chapter 14. Making Game Poems in Practice: A Beginner's Guide -- Chapter 15. Why We Need Game Poems: A Brief Conclusion -- Appendix I Tools and Resources for Finding and Making Game Poems -- Notes -- Bibliography.