Computer Games as Literature

Despite the bad press that video (computer) games get, they still are a multimedia text type. Utilising all five components of media (text, still images, audio, animation and video), they combine them along with interactivity in a way rarely seen with other forms of literature. This combination gives it great potential for immersive and effective storytelling.

Considering that, I will treat computer games as fictional literature and engage in a summary kind of literary analysis. To help with this, I will pretend to try to convince a public library to include some examples as part of their collections. Please note that, because of strict licensing requirements, this is often not actually practical, despite a strong supporting case!

Standard form
As part of maintaining its collection, this library solicits suggestions from the public for works that should be added to or removed from it. It does so through a form a member of the public fills out. Thus, my 'literary analysis' will take the form (mind the pun) of a filled form. As the form may have been designed with more traditional text types in mind, some questions will take some interpreting:

• Title: The title of the computer game.
• Author: For the big-budget titles, numerous people work on and contribute to the one title, and so this field will nominally be 'Various'. The developer and publisher will nonetheless be identified.
• Format: Quite obviously a computer game, the available platforms will also be listed.
• Name of Group/Organisation: This field will be interpreted in a way that allows showing the intent of filling out this form, that is, 'Supporters of computer games as a legitimate text type'.
• Have you read or viewed the entire work you wish to be considered? | If not, which parts have you read or viewed?: 'Parts' will be interpreted to mean features, activities and events, and 'read or viewed' as played through or tried out. Experiencing it at the basic level will be seen as enough.
• Please state your specific objection(s) to this work or reason(s) for believing it should be included in the collection: Such a consideration should be assessed on the work's literary demerits or merits (respectively). The such will thus be identified here.
• If fiction, what do you believe is the theme of this work?: Themes from the computer game's plot will be identified.
• Is there anything in this work that you believe our library users would find of use of [sic] value?: The responder to this work would certainly appreciate the computer game's ability to engage them, and in doing so, improve certain mental skills. These will be identified here.
• Do you think this work should be removed from/added to the library? If yes, please state why you believe people should/should not have access to this work: This is the ultimate decision of the librarian in relation to a filled in and submitted form. It is thus the member's of the public role to sum up their case for this decision, and this will be done here.
• Do you think this work should be restricted to some borrowers? If yes, please state why you believe the work is suitable for those users only: In answering this question, regard will be given to the Classification Board classification. MA and (in the future!) R classifications would manditorily restrict use by below-15s and below-18s, respectively. An M classification will be treated as being entirely unsuitable for below-8s.
• Why do you think this work was/was not included in our collection?: The lack of awareness of the merits of computer games will be addressed here.
• Can you recommend another work that could fill the same role in our collection?: Similar computer game titles will be mentioned here.

Title: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• Author: Various; developed by Bethesda Game Studios, published by Bethesda Softworks
• Type of Material (Format): Computer game (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
• Representing: Circle 'Self' and 'Group/Organisation'
• Name of Group/Organisation: Supporters of computer games as a legitimate text type
• Are you aware of the guidelines set out in the Library's Collection Development Policy?: Circle 'Yes'
• Have you read or viewed the entire work you wish to be reconsidered?: Circle 'No'
• If not, which parts have you read or viewed?: All skills; Main Quest; College of Winterhold questline; followers; player houses; horses; cooking; marriage; substantially all locations
• Please state your specific objection(s) to this work or reason(s) for believing it should be included in the collection:
• A computer game is a legitimate text type and thus merits appreciation as such
• Work illustrates an intricate plot involving myriad characters and events which demonstrates the below themes competently
• If fiction, what do you believe is the theme of the work?: Personal development and realisation of the full potential; politics, war, conflicting interests and misunderstandings; ethics, morality, the law and crime; decisions, their making and their consequences
• If non-fiction, what do you think is the purpose of the work?: N/A
• Is there anything in this work that you believe our library users would find of use of [sic] value?:
• Ability to improve mental fitness, components including: reaction time; spatial awareness; organisation and prioritisation; strategic/tactical thinking and ingenuity
• Ability to improve taking a holistic view of the world, such as understanding of and sympathy for others' unique circumstances
• Level of immersion into the setting
• Do you think this work should be removed from/added to the library?: Circle 'added to' and 'Yes'
• If yes, please state why you believe people should/should not have access to the work:
• High level of quality and polish and advanced game mechanics, despite numerous bugs (which the developer continually strives to fix)
• Improvement of above valuable skills
• Improvement of appreciation of above themes
• Do you think this work should be restricted to some borrowers?: Circle 'Yes'
• If yes, please state why you believe the work is suitable for those users only: Persons 15 years old and over: MA classification by the Classification Board
• Why do you think this work was/was not included in our collection?: Niche interest in it and resulting lack of awareness of it
• Can you recommend another work that could fill the same role in our collection?: Those of the Fable franchise; those of the Dragon Age franchise