Say It Like You Play It

Dive into the fascinating world of semiotics and its impact on video games. Discover how signs—icons, indexes, and symbols—create meaning in gameplay. Learn about the role of user interface design in communicating vital information to players while enhancing aesthetic appeal. Explore how interactivity and cultural elements, like music and color, shape player experiences, especially in RPGs. The discussion also uncovers the complexities of mastering game controls and the innovative choices in sound design that challenge traditional norms.

In this episode we talk about our experience playing two language puzzle games, 'Chants of Sennaar' by Rundisc and 'Sethian' by Duang! Games, LLC . Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:language puzzle and translation mechanicsembedding conlangs in game worldsplayer versus player-character knowledge of conlangscomplexity of conlangs and how to make them decipherableContains some strong (and other types of) language.☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk about the role of language in character design and world building. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:language ideologies, stereotypes, and otheringcharacters with different accents or speech impedimentsspelling in conlangs inspired by real languagesreal-world associations mapping onto fictional worldsgames such as the Dragon Age franchise, Pillars of Eternity, Cyberpunk 2077, Disco ElysiumContains some strong (and other types of) language.☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayItResources:Burrell-Kim, Danielle (2023). Stuttering Matt: Linguistic ableism and the mockery of speech impediments in video games. Game Studies, 23(2). Available here: https://gamestudies.org/2302/articles/burrellkim Villanueva, Emily & Ensslin Astrid (2021). Divine intervention: Multimodal pragmatics and unconventional opposition in performed character speech in Dragon Age: Inquisition. In: Planchenault, G. & Poljak, L. (eds.) Pragmatics of Accents. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 205-228. Available here: https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2993691/villanueva_ensslin_preprints.pdf?sequence=1'Constructed Languages and Intuitive *~ Culture Feels ~*', forum thread. Available here: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/63958-constructed-languages-and-intuitive-~-culture-feels-~/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we take a close look at the online collectible card game 'Hearthstone', which is part of Blizzard Entertainment's 'Warcraft' franchise, and three research papers which study the game in relation to language and communication. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:Humour, puns, and wordplay in Hearthstone;Linguistic differences between rule texts and flavour texts;The functions and forms of keywords and card names;Localization, with a focus on the use of Kanji in Japanese;Communicative affordances and limitations of the in-game emote system;Players' perceptions of "bad manners"; Qualitative versus quantitative research approaches and the obstacles of research cultures;Contains some strong (and other types of) language.☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayItResources:Arjoranta, J., & Siitonen, M. (2018). Why do players misuse emotes in Hearthstone? Negotiating the use of communicative affordances in an online multiplayer game. Game Studies, 18(2). Available here: https://gamestudies.org/1802/articles/arjoranta_siitonen.Jacquin, J., & Xanthos, A. (2021). Evolution of linguistic complexity in Hearthstone: a resource and an example in linguistic game studies. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 36(4), 907-918. Available here: https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_FA8B6BCC9CA2.P001/REF.pdfRobertson, W. (2020). Unspeakable puns: kanji-dependent wordplay as a localization strategy in Japanese. Perspectives, 28(4), 606-624. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2018.1548628.'German translations messy since last update', forum thread: https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/hearthstone/t/german-translations-messy-since-last-update/126281. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss our experiences of using language-learning apps. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:What is gamification?Loss aversion, quizzes, and immersive learningThe (im)balance between vocabulary and grammarDifferent needs for different audiencesApps such as Duolingo, LingoLegends, Memrise, Influent, and EarthlingoContains some strong (and other types of) language.📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayItFurther resources: Alvi, I. (2022). Gamification interaction features in language learning apps, brand engagement, and brand-consumer relationship quality. Journal of Content, Community and Communication, 15(8), 210-226. Available via: https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/june-2022-15.pdf.Shortt, M., Tilak, S., Kuznetcova, I., Martens, B., & Akinkuolie, B. (2023). Gamification in mobile-assisted language learning: A systematic review of Duolingo literature from public release of 2012 to early 2020. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(3), 517-554. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1933540. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss Carl Muckenhoupt's challenging 'The Gostak'; a text-based adventure game in which the player has to decipher a gibberish version of English. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:How the game worksTranslation as game mechanicThe syntax of English and what it tells us about the meaning of wordsVerb transitivity, direct objects, and indirect objects Thinking of nouns and verbs as building blocks of games more generally If you would like to play 'The Gostak' youself, you can do so on the Interactive Fiction DataBase: https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=w5s3sv43s3p98v45#:~:text=The%20reference%20is%20to%20the,can%20be%20distimmed%20by%20aContains some strong (and other type types of) language.📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt📚 Resources:Ingraham, A. (1903). Swain school lectures. Open Court Publishing Company. Available at: https://archive.org/details/swainschoollectu00ingruoft Ogden, C. K., & Richards, I. A. (1927). The Meaning of Meaning: A Study of the Influence of Language upon Thought and of the Science of Symbolism. Harcourt, Brace.Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff, Tenielle. ‘Beyond the Basics: Transitive, Intransitive, Ditransitive and Ambitransitive Verbs’. The Advocate, Feb. 2015, p. 54-55. Available at: https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=lawfaculty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the intricate relationship between video games and real cultures. Discover how accents influence character perception and gameplay authenticity in titles like 'GTA' and 'Assassin's Creed.' The dialogue dives into the humor unique to Northern English experiences and critiques cultural representation in major and indie games alike. Learn how smaller studios are able to authentically share diverse narratives while larger franchises often rely on stereotypes. This engaging discussion emphasizes the complexity of culture, from architecture to pizza preferences.

In this episode, we talk about social simulation in games, taking as our starting point Mitu Khandaker's talk ‘Thinking about people: Designing games for social simulation’. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe discuss:What’s a social sim?Autonomous behaviour versus authored branching storiesSocial simulation in tabletop gamesWhat are NPCs for?The multiple functions of communication and interaction in real life and gamesGames such as The Sims, Baldur's Gate 3, Skyrim, Dragon Age, Redshirts, and Ctrl.Alt.DELContains some strong (and other type types of) language.📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt📚 Resources: Jakobson, Roman. 1960. ‘Linguistics and poetics’. In T. Seboek (ed.) Style in Language, MIT Press, 350-377.Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/33061075/Jakobson_Eks_15_F12.pdfKhandaker, Mitu. 2015 ‘Thinking about people: Designing games for social simulation’, Game Developers Conference, San Francisco.Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haNy1kSHMt8&t=2591s Mathiot, Madeleine & Garvin, Paul L. 1975. ‘The functions of language: A sociocultural view’, Anthropological Quarterly, 48(3). 148–156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3316921Searle, John R. 1975. ‘A taxonomy of illocutionary acts.’ In K. Gunderson (ed.) Language, Mind, and Knowledge, University of Minnesota Press, 344–369. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the intriguing world of ludemes and their significance in game design! The hosts explore the term's origins and its connections to linguistic concepts like phonemes. Discover how metaphors like 'game as language' reshape our understanding of gameplay and player experiences. The conversation also touches on the evolution of language alongside genetic adaptation, and the crucial role of metaphors in establishing academic legitimacy. Get ready for a fascinating blend of games, culture, and language!

In this episode we discuss the brilliant Heaven's Vault; a narrative adventure videogame about decyphering a constructed language in order to learn the history of a fantastical world. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:How the game worksIdeographic vs Alphabetic writing systemsSemantics and Morphology in languageScience fiction, media representation, and attempts at avoiding orientalismTranslation and archaeology as game mechanicsTo hear Jon Ingold of Inkle talk about Bladerunner and writing game dialogue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRfNtvFVRoFor an excellent GDC talk on the making of the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o02uJ-ktCukContains some strong (and other type types of) language.📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt📚 Resources: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d. 'Language in brief'. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/spoken-language-disorders/language-in-brief/. Accessed 11 September 2024.Condis, Megan. 2016. Building Languages, Building Worlds: An Interview with Jessica Sams. Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities, 4(1), 150–161. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5250/resilience.4.1.0150Daniels, Peter T., 2017. Writing systems. In Mark Aronoff and  Janie Rees-Miller (eds.), The Handbook of Linguistics. Wiley, 75-94.Olson, David R., 23 Aug. 2024. 'writing'. In Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/writing. Accessed 11 September 2024.Rogers, Stephen D., 2011. The Dictionary of Made-Up Languages: from Adunaic to Elvish, Zaum to Klingon—The Anwa (Real) Origins of Invented Lexicons. Simon and Schuster.Rowe, Bruce M., & Levine, Diane P., 2022. A Concise Introduction to Linguistics. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003268369.Schreyer, Christine, 2021. Constructed languages. Annual Review of Anthropology, 50(1), 327-344. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-101819-110152. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.