Society seen through the window of games
"The 21st century is the age of games." These words of world-renowned art curator Hans Ulrich Obrist are now becoming a reality. Games, like novels and films of the past, are becoming systems that symbolically integrate the economic, political, psychological, and technological systems that define society. This also means that "you can understand the world through games." Based on this hypothesis, this issue presents a total of 26 projects, each categorizing game-related keywords from A to Z. The issue delves into the current state of games, which reach into all areas, from business to culture to international politics, while at the same time shedding light on the multifaceted nature of modern games. This is a book that looks at modern society through the lens of games, which continue to evolve and deepen while expanding in diverse ways. (Published by Kokuyo, distributed by Gakugei Publishing, with production cooperation from Kurotorisha)
■Table of Contents■
◉ Architects: The job of an architect in Minecraft
◉ The Backrooms: The "unsettling rooms" that have become huge content
◉ Convergence: The 21st century will be unified by games
◉ Digital Community: Play is creation. Companies are communities
◉ Eco-System: A town of 50,000 people becomes a mecca for game development
◉ Field Research: Game Walk: Walking through a simulated society called a game
◉ GPU: A war that started with gaming
◉ University of Hertfordshire: Learn "real-time skills" at the pinnacle of gaming education
◉ itch.io: Can a platform become a "reliable place"?
◉ Japanese Indie: Kodansha, Shueisha, and the bright future of indie games
◉ Karate Combat: The martial arts are now a game
◉ Luxury Brands: Fashion DX and game collaboration
◉ MechBird: The Adventures of an Alternative Controller
◉ Non-Player Character: When a powerless meme becomes a "fairy"
◉ Obituary: Funerals, FF14, and Community
◉ Play The Game: A bookshelf of play and games
◉ QAnon: The intersection of alternative reality games and conspiracy theories
◉ Random Access Movie: Movie x Game = Nameless Story
◉ Serious Games: 11 games that tackle social issues
◉ Tomo Kihara: What AI mistakes mean for humans
◉ Unity/Unreal Engine: Game Engine and Asset Craftsmen
◉ Virtual Photography: Taking photos in games
◉ Worldbuilding: Everyone creates a "world" and forms an archipelago
◉ X: Elon's Game Commentary and the Future of Social Media
◉ YouTuber: Streamers' Presidential Election
◉ Z: ⌘Z
■Book details■
Title: "WORKSIGHT No. 22: A Game is the World A–Z World is a Game"
Edited by: WORKSIGHT Editorial Department (Yoko Research Institute + Kurotorisha)
ISBN: 978-4-7615-0929-3
Art direction: Hiromi Fujita
Issue date: Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Publisher: Kokuyo
Publisher: Gakugei Publishing
Format: A5 variant / 128 pages
Price: 1,800 yen + tax
Photos by Hironori Kim