Game Studies Study Buddies 82 – Gunkel – Gaming the System
May 31, 2025
Dive into a quirky discussion on David J. Gunkel's work that blends gaming, philosophy, and technology! Discover deconstruction in video game studies and its ties to colonialism. The hosts tackle the irony of expertise and explore the emotional attachments we form with AI. They'll challenge your perceptions of reality versus virtual interactions, all while intertwining humor with serious ethical dilemmas. Plus, they share amusing anecdotes and insights on how technology shapes our social links.
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Episode notes
All Systems Are Games?
- David Gunkel equates all formal systems, including belief and economic systems, as games.
- Cameron Kunzelman and Michael Lutz find this broad equivalence controversial and not practically convincing.
Virtual Worlds as New Frontiers?
- Gunkel critiques the rhetoric of virtual worlds as "new frontiers" shaped by colonial legacies.
- Kunzelman and Lutz challenge the idea these digital spaces are truly separate worlds, emphasizing continuity with real-world social dynamics.
Understanding Deconstruction’s Core
- Deconstruction examines what assumptions must hold true for an argument or system to work.
- It reveals binary oppositions, like real/fake, as mutually constituted rather than strictly oppositional.
