Japanese Game Studies
Description
This book introduces research on computer games conducted in Japan, aimed at students and researchers of games and pop culture in Japan, and explains how to facilitate their studies and research.
Japan, along with the USA and Europe, has been a world leader in computer games. There are many users and companies, and the market is significant. In terms of game content, games developed in Japan have gained popularity outside of Japan and have influenced subsequent games. For this reason, a considerable amount of research on Japanese games has been conducted.
Most of the literature on Japanese games is written in Japanese, however. Therefore, it is difficult for students and researchers living outside of Japan, even if they are interested, to read the literature and to work jointly with Japanese researchers. As a result, there is a disconnection between overseas and Japanese researchers. This book is presented to help bridge that gap. In addition, by introducing Japanese game studies across multiple disciplines, the book makes it easier for readers to find research approaches that match their interests.
The book begins with an overview of Japanese game research to date. It then introduces research results unique to Japan, such as those on arcade games and Doujin (people who make games mainly as a hobby, groups of people with shared strong interests in games). It then introduces research institutions and academic societies in which readers can research game studies in Japan. In addition, it introduces ways to access and obtain relevant resources.
Readers will be better prepared to study in Japan or collaborate with Japanese researchers by reading this book. In addition, it will help readers to know in advance which fields and themes are easier or more difficult to research in Japan, thus preventing mismatches in study abroad and research exchange. The academic significance is that it provides an overview of research on games in Japan that has been conducted from a variety of perspectives and approaches. By using this as a basis, we can expect to promote international and cross-disciplinary game research.
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Persons
Fumihiko Ikuine is a Professor at the Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management in Japan. His research interests include the management of technology (MOT) and innovation. He is the author of Development Productivity Dilemma : The Innovation Patterns in the Digital Age (Yuhikaku, in Japanese), which received the Takamiya Award (Book Prize) from the Academic Association for Organizational Science (AAOS) of Japan.
Kazufumi Fukuda is an Associate Professor at College of Image Arts and Sciences, Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, Japan. His main research interests are in game studies, metadata for popular culture resources, and digital humanities. He is a member of the development task team for Media-Arts Database, a general catalog for Japanese visual media organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Akito Inoue is Game researcher. Currently an Associate Professor at College of Image Arts and Sciences, Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, Japan. After completing a master's degree at Keio University's Graduate School of Media and Governance, he worked as an assistant professor at International University of Japan GLOCOM and a specially appointed associate professor at Kansai University before assuming his current position. He is currently working on a series of articles entitled "On Games as Phenomena without a Center," which discusses what the experience of games is. He is also involved in projects related to game archives and databases. He is the author of "Gamification" (NHK Publishing, 2012). He has also developed games such as "#denkimeter," a power-saving game released at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake (CEDEC AWARD for Excellence in Game Design).
Nobushige Kobayashi is a Professor at Tohoku Gakuin University, Japan. He has studied video game developers in Japan, especially hobbyist and indie developers, and games players in various regions from mainly sociological perspective. His recent interest is the study of the Japanese game designer, Yuji Horii, and the Dragon Quest series.
Content
Purpose and Structure of this Book.- A Brief History of Game Research and Game Studies in Japan.- Japanese Videogame Research Communities, Associations, Institutes, and Projects.- Media Mix and Digital Games.- A Study of Japanese Game Centers and Arcade Games.- Exploring the History of Independent Digital Games in Japan, with a Focus on "Doujin Games".- Access Game Resources with Game Archives.- Differences in Research Environments by Domain in Japan.- Field Research in the Japanese Game Industry: Developing an In-Depth Understanding from the Inside Out.-Japanese game studies based on management studies.- Reconstruction of Japanese Game History in the 1980s: Reconsidering Game as a Narrative Medium.- Imagining Future Pathways for Japanese Game Studies.- Expectations for Japanese Game Study Participants.