flow

A few weeks ago the second volume of Transformative Works and Cultures went online. The issue is called “Games as Transformative Works” and contains a short article of mine: “Intrinsic motivation: flOw, video games, and participatory culture.” The article was published in their “Symposium” section, a space intended for shorter pieces that address both the academic community and general public. The ideas in the piece stem from the first chapter of my dissertation which contains a larger examination of Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of flow in relation to video games (but also in relation to Raymond Williams’ concept of televisual flow). The chapter attempts to fill a gap in game scholarship which often mentions Csikszentmihalyi & flow, but rarely with a critical eye. The article in TWC doesn’t go into much depth in the theoretical discussion of “flow,” but instead attempts to draw a relationship between the (sometimes) intrinsic motivation of modding and Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of “intrinsic motivation” which is attached to flow activities such as, potentially, video games. The gist being that at some point – when the player reaches a skill level where the game is no longer (or less) challenging – modification might be a choice to continue the “flow experience” cultivated in the game; thus, the intrinsic motivation of playing the game overflows into the immaterial labor of work (often to the material profit of others, not necessarily the modder). Anyway, take a look if you’re interested. There’s a brief discussion of the game flOw in relation to World of Warcraft actually… The rest of the collection looks fascinating as well, though I have only been able to read a few articles as of yet.