Cameras, Radios, and Butterflies: the Influence and Importance of Fan Networks for Game Studies

Abstract

As academic game studies emerges as a growing, interdisciplinary, and varied field, researchers require additional resources in order to study games in a larger context. Fan networks produce many such resources often otherwise unavailable - including walkthroughs, hint guides, and other forms of fan research - which are significant for the academic study of games. While professionally produced walkthroughs, game guides, and other research materials are available for the majority of new, popular games, many games never have walkthroughs, and older walkthroughs are often largely unavailable.

Keywords

• computer games
• game networks
• fan networks