gamerism

gamerism is a provisional name for a theory which conceptualizes video games as autonomous institutions which can be separate from governance or control by corporations (economic concerns), religions (with spiritual concerns), governments (political concerns) or multiversity educational institutions (educational concerns).

While they may benefit and draw from influences by businesses (which often create them), religions, governments and schools (which help provide the technology, inspiration and ideas), video games are traditionally judged as institutions with their own rules and, increasingly, their own incentives for function and participation.

Gamer economics

Whereas the businesses may make games for monetary purposes and universities may make or participate in the games for purposes of knowledge, video games (especially those which are networked between multiple participants) are primarily driven by a need for gratification and emotio-physical release.

This gratification has been a part of the gaming activity in all cultures in human history, and most video games are designed to be immersive to the user in order to glean some degree of the resulting gratification (or deflation).

Gamerism and anarchism

In graphical virtual world networks (often interpreted as games or game platforms) such as Second Life, anarchist-themed avatars, places and events can be found within the world. Otherwise, anarchist theory has not incorporated the video game as a subject of scrutiny.

See also

• Gaymer
• Anarchism and video games