Metaplay: Play Practices, Communication, and Interaction in Pokemon from 1998-2020

Abstract

Digital gaming is not at a metaphorical crossroad; it is on a freeway being fed by multiple arteries, an amalgamated and multi-faceted activity fully absorbing multiple disciplines, approaches, and perspectives. Players are subtly cognizant playing a game is no longer simply about play, but an entire metaplay. Digital game play can include everything around it, traditional and social media, user-generated content, hacking, advertising and reviews, debates on design and artistic direction, how players should or should not interpret the game, interactions and opinions, the list goes on. Game scholarship demands a broader view for effective methodologies and comprehensive studies. I posit that the currently underutilized theoretical framework of metaplay is an effective means of understanding and analyzing contemporary digital game play, game cultures, and specific game play practices.