MATSUNAGA Shinji

I'm studying videogames from a philosophical and aesthetic perspective. My current focus is on the medium of videogames and its formal features, and the analysis of the critical practices on works of videogames.

Interest 1. Signification in videogames
My ongoing doctoral dissertation is about the structure of signification in videogames.

In the light of their historical development, I take videogames as a hybrid form of traditional games, such as chess or soccer, and fiction, such as novel or film. On that basis, I try to construct a theoretical framework that will be able to describe the ways of signification in games and fiction respectively, and the varied, complex relationship between them.

Such signifying aspects as narrative, temporal or spatial representation, simulation, player's actions, and so on, will be adequately explained in terms of this framework.

Interest 2. Other philosophical / aesthetic interests on videogames
a) Videogames and traditional games: the peculiarity of computer games when compared to non-computer ones.
b) Narrative in Games: on narratives that are emergent, non-linear, environmental, and so on.
c) What properties make gameplay (aesthetically) valued: an aesthetic approach to "fun" or "good gameplay."
d) Indie game culture: its notable artistic orientation.
e) Art games.
f) Pixel arts as appreciated.

Interest 3. Other interests in philosophy of art
a) Definitions of art.
b) Popular vs high arts.
c) Depiction / pictorial representation.
d) Aesthetic judgments on fashion: in particular, the analysis of the concept of "fashionable."