Technical Communication Quarterly Jul 2016

Game Design as Technical Communication: Articulating Game Design Through Textbooks

Michael Anthony DeAnda Illinois Institute of Technology ; Carly A. Kocurek Illinois Institute of Technology

Abstract

This article examines the framing of the designer’s role in game development in textbooks published and circulated over the past decade. The authors investigate the discursive ways coding is downplayed within game design texts as a means of promoting design as a form of creative expression. This speaks to ongoing tension in the games industry of coding and technology versus art. The authors argue that, in their presentation of game design, leading textbooks attempt to frame the field as one of artistry and technical practice, presenting game design as a type of technical communication. The authors ultimately consider the potential and pitfalls of considering game design as a technical communication field and suggest that this framing presents lens for considering the recently professionalized field.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2016-07-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2016.1185161
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality technical communication

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Sarraf (2022)
    Representations of Creativity by Posters in Freelance Writing Internet Forums
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. McDaniel et al. (2021)
    Game Design Tactics for Teaching Technical Communication in Online Courses
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Cooke et al. (2020)
    Gaming Design Thinking: Wicked Problems, Sufficient Solutions, and the Possibil…
    Technical Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (0)

No references match articles in this index.

Also cites 7 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1162/dmal.9780262693646.117
     ↗
  2. 10.1177/1354856514527205
     ↗
  3. Flanagan M. (2009)
    Critical play: Radical game design
     ↗
  4. Fullerton T. (2014)
    Game design workshop: A playcentric approach for creating innovative games
     ↗
  5. 10.1201/b17723
     ↗
  6. 10.7264/N33N21B3
     ↗
  7. 10.4159/9780674044838
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 11 View in citation network →

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