Queer Game Studies

There is a lot of great content on LGB identity in gaming. Unfortunately, there's only one chapter that addresses trans identity with more than a passing mention and trans identity is not the primary focus of any chapter.

The goal of the book Queer Game Studies is to apply aspects of queer theory with the media of video games and to discuss how to build on how using queer theory in conjunction with the video game industry can be beneficial and foster a larger, more accepting community. Queer theory is a form of literary and cultural study which challenges more traditional ideals, specifically, in regards to the queer community, or terms of gender and sexuality. While this book is not dissimilar from other books written by those in my discipline in regards to addressing prevalent matters that relate to representation in video games, it is unique in the sense that the entirety of this book is focused on the queer community and their relationship with the video game industry and video games in general.The authors aim to show that queer gamers are more common than most media portrays and to address the issue of underrepresentation. In addition, they seek to discuss and educate others on the “queer lens” of gaming, which refers to the way that queer individuals seek out representation in games where it is not readily found and the way they engage with games in regards to their identities and interests. This is to show that many queer people who play games feel that there is no space for them in the community and to circumvent this, they have banded together to create their own sub-communities and play games differently than the “average gamer” to create their own sense of being represented.I find the book interesting and with this book being an anthology, there are contributions from many different people, bringing with them a wide array of topics, which still are used together cohesively. This book creates the opportunity for discussion when talking about needed representation in media and how even modern games can be considered exclusionist or simply not engaging for those who do not fit within the average target audience that most game companies consider when creating a product.The book is grouped into sections, the first of which is titled “Defining Queerness in Games,” which is used to define queer theory and the role it plays concerning video games, as well as delve into some of the history of “queergaming.” The second section, “Queering Game Play and Design,” then focuses on how games can be used as a platform to identify societal issues as well as how games could be developed to be more inclusive and more complex or multi-faceted as a result. Section three, “Reading Games Queerly,” shifts the reader's focus to how queer individuals interact with video games and how their identity affects the way they interact in-game with other characters or just their general play styles. The next section, “Queer Failures in Games,” discusses the failures and shortcomings regarding the reception of queer games, one example specifically mentioning how marginalized indie creators and those that support them, have been attacked or received backlash for “encroaching” on the “standard gamer’s” (usually cisgender, heterosexual, white males) territory by attempting to create representation where, in some cases, none could be found. The fifth and final section, “Queer Futures for Games,” focuses on the future of queergaming, which expresses a hope for a new, more inclusive era of gaming as well as brings attention to how there are already those who are actively creating games that address queerness and queer issues, and how this allows for queer gamers to find their community and a chance to meet those who can relate to their experiences.I would recommend this book to not only those who are interested in the social aspects of gaming communities but also to queer individuals who play video games, as it is certainly comforting to know that we are not alone and that there are others out there who are aiming to understand our experiences and bring attention to the need for greater representation.In conclusion, I have found that Queer Game Studies is an informative exploration into how the media of video games could be better tailored to suit more than one audience, while also addressing that queer inclusion in games is not always seamless and can sometimes lead to doing more harm than good if not implemented correctly. I have found that it is usually a good sign when a book or study can acknowledge shortcomings within the topic or field that it is centered around, and it often makes the reader feel as though those failures can be looked back on by those in the field and be used as an opportunity to grow from mistakes that have been made to achieve a greater outcome in the end.

Really enjoyed this book -- it's well-edited, and there's a lot of good ideas in here. I also found that the length of the chapters made even the areas of queer game studies that I wasn't necessarily very enthusiastic about were eminently readable. I also enjoyed the fact that this book brings together people with expertise from different areas, including queer studies, game design, and academia.