Toward a Gameic World: New Rules of Engagement from Japanese Video Games

How are we moving toward a “gameic world,” and what does this mean? The title of Ben Whaley's book suggests that the rest of the world is gaining something from Japan via the game industry, so what is it that we are gaining? A “gameic” world, he argues, is one in which we come to a meaningful understanding of complex social issues by playing through them ourselves in digital narratives, engaging deeply with game scenarios and characters. Many video games designed in Japan explore pressing “social and personal issues, including traumas, such as natural disasters; a declining birthrate and aging population; nuclear proliferation; and youth social withdrawal” (3). The book examines the benefits of working through trauma via video games “and how games enhance and expand our understanding of these issues for the uninitiated” (3). Readers will find an interesting discussion here, not only of games but of ideas and...