Game Design Beyond the Game Industry

Abstract

Once considered a niche, almost a subculture, video game design has evolved into a fully realized sector and field of innovation within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs). This Open Debate section of diid. disegno industriale industrial design explores what happens when game design is hybridized with other domains of design and creative practice, both in terms of practical integration and conceptual transformation. As we introduce this volume and the contributions in it, we outline a general panorama spanning four ana- lytic dimensions that recur in the field: theoretical concepts (theories and frameworks that reframe what design is and what it can do), approaches (developmental and participatory processes and models used to guide design work), tools (the technical systems and platforms adopted from game development), and methods (techniques and design heuristics drawn from game practice).

Keywords

• Game Design Hybridization
• Design Practice
• Game Thinking
• Cultural Production
• Critical Perspectives