Gamescape Principles: Basic Approaches for Studying Visual Grammar and Game Literacy

This paper proposes a new theoretical framework or visual grammar for analysing visual aspects of digital 3D games, and for understanding more deeply the notion of Visual Digital Game Literacy. The framework focuses on the development of a visual grammar by drawing on the digital literacy framework developed by Buckingham. It supplements and extends this framework by offering a more detailed account of how visual principles and elements in games can be analysed. In developing this visual grammar we draw theoretically on existing approaches within: the arts, history, film study, semiotics, multimodal analysis, and game studies. We illustrate the theoretical and analytical framework by analysing samples of screenshots and video clips collected from the online game “World of Warcraft” (WoW) where we have conducted our online research. The research data is supplemented by ethnographic data (observation and interviews) collected during a game workshop where students, studying to become game designers, developed a number of games. The visual digital literacy framework we propose consists of five main major components: Gamescape Principles, Interpretation, Style, Experiences and Practices. For the purpose of this paper we emphasise the gamescape principles dimension, which focuses on the analysis of the visual elements and principles. The framework will open for new ways of conducting in-depth analysis of the basic elements of 3D games, as a means of better understanding visual digital media and game literacy. This can prove relevant for researchers and game designers (or those studying to become game designers), as it can provide better conceptual and analytic tools for understanding the meaning of visual elements and principles in games. Furthermore, it is of relevance to researchers and educators as to understand how learners posses or can develop broader critical media literacies and visual digital literacies in education.