The Video Game as a Medium, Part II

In the previous part of this article I suggested the term 'media-instance' to overcome the complexity that surrounds the video game medium. In this article I will continue to examine the video game medium and try to define the raw material that distinguishes it from other types of media.


The Raw Material of Video Games

Video games as a software artifacts result from the creative use of their own raw material. They are software systems with certain structures or architectures that contain data files and run with the help of algorithm-defined procedures. These systems can be designed to initiate, run and terminate themselves by their own means. They can also articulate input into their processes and provide output. The procedural and reciprocal nature of these software artifacts bears a creative potential by itself, which enables the creation of content with certain style features and narrative qualities. This opens the ground for an immersive experience for its users.


The 'Media-Instance'

However, this creative potential is framed by the qualities of the media-instance that is at work and for which the video game is developed to perform on. Media-instances are variants close in their configuration to the general computer-aided media prototype: this prototype is basically made of a processor, data storage, input/output devices, and an operating system that maintains the relations between these parts. In other words, the media-instance that is chosen to run the video game software, is a computer-aided medium that itself performs under the guidance of another software, the operation system. The technical parametres of the media-instance at target, like its data storing capacity, its access speeds to these data, its flow volume at a given moment along the internal communication lines, and its processing power, will all have an impact on the aesthetic dimensions of the design of the software artifact.


Human-Machine Interplay as a Specific Difference

The most revolutionary side of this new form of mediation is its potential in enabling participation of humans to the mediated process. Users of this medium are enabled to situate themselves into the mediated process and influence its progress. During this process, their impact on the game world, and their position in it becomes part of the 'mediated'. The user's presence within the realm or the virtual world that the software generates, becomes a mediated presence, which is communicated to her through output devices. Input devices such as keyboard, mouse, various types of controllers, and the interface (in contrast to the surface or screen of traditional visual media); and various output devices such as monitors, speakers or TV sets, become the essential parts of the medium and its processes of mediation. Together they shape the reciprocal dimension of the medium.

As complex as the configuration issue seems to be, once its components have been decided and put in place, we can speak of a media-instance with its own unique creative qualities, possibilities and limitations. The given configuration of the media-instance is what the video game as a software artifact falls in line with, and together they define the boundaries of creative use. The various ‘lines’ are where we must look closer at if we want to explore the nature of the video game as a medium.


Where Software and Media-Instance Intersect

The way in which the software artifact and the media-instance fall into line with each other will change the way in which the software artifact, its data and its algorithmic procedures are designed. The relation between the both is the first step in estimating the potential of the creative use of the medium. Put simply, the outcome of each different pairing would be a different video game with different styles and narration.

As the relations between software artifact and media-instances are explored, refined, merged and redefined; as valuable experience regarding the nature of the medium is gained through hands-on practice in the industry; as commercial and business aspects push developers towards technical and content-related standards; we see conventions emerge out of the reservoir of creative uses of the video game, which lead to the establishment of various genres.

On the other hand, new discoveries in creative use, and rapid change in technology continue to create chances to achieve things that haven’t been tried or even thought of before. Since computer hard-and-software is the basis of both software artifact and medium-instance, future developments in hard-and-software will continue to have a deep impact on the nature of the medium and its creative potential.

Once we have seen where the creative potential of this new “cultural form” lies, we see that we indeed speak of a unique medium, despite its many 'instances'. We do not speak of a hybrid, nor do we speak of something trans-medial. This way of perception is actually what is creating confusion around the medium, not the medium itself.


In the next and last part of this article I will take a closer look at how the video game medium assembles and articulates its raw material in order to create meaningful experiences for its users. Until then: have a great time!


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