The discourse structure of video games: A multimodal discourse semantics approach to game tutorials

• Published in: Language & communication Vol. 82; pp. 28 - 51
• Main Authors: Wildfeuer, Janina, Stamenković, Dušan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2022; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Computer & video games; Discourse; Discourse analysis; Discourse semantics; Discourse structure; Distinctive features; Dynamic semantics; Formal discourse semantics; Inferences; Multimodality; Pragmatics; Semantic analysis; Semantics; Video games; Video games; Discourse; Formal discourse semantics; Inferences; Multimodality
• ISSN: 0271-5309; 1873-3395; 1873-3395
• DOI: 10.1016/j.langcom.2021.11.005

The article proposes a multimodal discourse semantics approach to the analysis of video game tutorials that provides a discourse pragmatic analysis of the game canvases in these tutorials. The study mainly builds on linguistic approaches to formal dynamic discourse semantics that have already been successfully applied to other multimodal artefacts. The article will showcase the application of the resulting ‘logic of multimodal discourse interpretation’ to two specific cases of video game tutorials. This will outline particular discourse relations holding between events and segments in the tutorials as distinctive features of this video game genre and show the discursive patterns of these instructions. •This article sets out a linguistically-based pragmatic model of video game analysis.•The model uses formal discourse semantics to cover inferences for meaning-making.•A general discourse analytical methodology is proposed for multimodal analysis.•Examples from two influential videogames are analysed in detail.•A foundational basis for future empirical work and validation is discussed.