Say It Like You Play It

In this episode we discuss the puzzle adventure game Blue Prince by Dogubomb. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• The game's world & lore
• Word play in puzzles, as clues, & for fun
• Colour semiotics
• Sign versus noise ratio
• The (un)translatability of the game

Songs that are low-key about playing Blue Prince: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DbDTBrBK23NIV4u077vcx?si=d8ed31681e964979

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

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In this episode we discuss a concept which has been important – but implicit – in many previous episodes: semiotics, or meaning-making through signs. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• The linguistic foundations and broad applications of semiotics;
• Definitions and different types of signs;
• Multi-modal semiotics in (video) games;
• Genre-specific and genre-independent semiotics;
• The relationship between signs and ludemes;
• Examples such as UI, rarity colours, and controls;

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

Resources:

Blomberg, J. 2018. 'The Semiotics of the Game Controller', Game Studies, 18(2). https://gamestudies.org/1802/articles/blomberg

Chandler, D. 'Semiotics for Beginners'. https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/courses/BIB/semio2.htm

Hawreliak, J. (2018). Multimodal Semiotics and Rhetoric in Videogames. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315159492

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In this episode we talk about our experience playing two language puzzle games, 'Chants of Sennaar' by Rundisc and 'Sethian' by Duang! Games, LLC . Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• language puzzle and translation mechanics
• embedding conlangs in game worlds
• player versus player-character knowledge of conlangs
• complexity of conlangs and how to make them decipherable

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

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In this episode we talk about the role of language in character design and world building. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• language ideologies, stereotypes, and othering
• characters with different accents or speech impediments
• spelling in conlangs inspired by real languages
• real-world associations mapping onto fictional worlds
• games such as the Dragon Age franchise, Pillars of Eternity, Cyberpunk 2077, Disco Elysium

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

Resources:

Burrell-Kim, Danielle (2023). Stuttering Matt: Linguistic ableism and the mockery of speech impediments in video games. Game Studies, 23(2). Available here: https://gamestudies.org/2302/articles/burrellkim

Villanueva, Emily & Ensslin Astrid (2021). Divine intervention: Multimodal pragmatics and unconventional opposition in performed character speech in Dragon Age: Inquisition. In: Planchenault, G. & Poljak, L. (eds.) Pragmatics of Accents. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 205-228. Available here: https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2993691/villanueva_ensslin_preprints.pdf?sequence=1

'Constructed Languages and Intuitive *~ Culture Feels ~*', forum thread. Available here: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/63958-constructed-languages-and-intuitive-~-culture-feels-~/

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In this episode we take a close look at the online collectible card game 'Hearthstone', which is part of Blizzard Entertainment's 'Warcraft' franchise, and three research papers which study the game in relation to language and communication. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• Humour, puns, and wordplay in Hearthstone;
• Linguistic differences between rule texts and flavour texts;
• The functions and forms of keywords and card names;
• Localization, with a focus on the use of Kanji in Japanese;
• Communicative affordances and limitations of the in-game emote system;
• Players' perceptions of "bad manners";
• Qualitative versus quantitative research approaches and the obstacles of research cultures;

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

Resources:

Arjoranta, J., & Siitonen, M. (2018). Why do players misuse emotes in Hearthstone? Negotiating the use of communicative affordances in an online multiplayer game. Game Studies, 18(2). Available here: https://gamestudies.org/1802/articles/arjoranta_siitonen.

Jacquin, J., & Xanthos, A. (2021). Evolution of linguistic complexity in Hearthstone: a resource and an example in linguistic game studies. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 36(4), 907-918. Available here: https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_FA8B6BCC9CA2.P001/REF.pdf

Robertson, W. (2020). Unspeakable puns: kanji-dependent wordplay as a localization strategy in Japanese. Perspectives, 28(4), 606-624. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2018.1548628.

'German translations messy since last update', forum thread: https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/hearthstone/t/german-translations-messy-since-last-update/126281.

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In this episode we discuss our experiences of using language-learning apps. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• What is gamification?
• Loss aversion, quizzes, and immersive learning
• The (im)balance between vocabulary and grammar
• Different needs for different audiences
• Apps such as Duolingo, LingoLegends, Memrise, Influent, and Earthlingo

Contains some strong (and other types of) language.

📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

Further resources:

Alvi, I. (2022). Gamification interaction features in language learning apps, brand engagement, and brand-consumer relationship quality. Journal of Content, Community and Communication, 15(8), 210-226. Available via: https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/june-2022-15.pdf.

Shortt, M., Tilak, S., Kuznetcova, I., Martens, B., & Akinkuolie, B. (2023). Gamification in mobile-assisted language learning: A systematic review of Duolingo literature from public release of 2012 to early 2020. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(3), 517-554. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1933540.

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In this episode we discuss Carl Muckenhoupt's challenging 'The Gostak'; a text-based adventure game in which the player has to decipher a gibberish version of English. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe cover topics including:

• How the game works
• Translation as game mechanic
• The syntax of English and what it tells us about the meaning of words
• Verb transitivity, direct objects, and indirect objects
• Thinking of nouns and verbs as building blocks of games more generally

If you would like to play 'The Gostak' youself, you can do so on the Interactive Fiction DataBase: https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=w5s3sv43s3p98v45#:~:text=The%20reference%20is%20to%20the,can%20be%20distimmed%20by%20a

Contains some strong (and other type types of) language.

📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

📚 Resources:

Ingraham, A. (1903). Swain school lectures. Open Court Publishing Company. Available at: https://archive.org/details/swainschoollectu00ingruoft

Ogden, C. K., & Richards, I. A. (1927). The Meaning of Meaning: A Study of the Influence of Language upon Thought and of the Science of Symbolism. Harcourt, Brace.

Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff, Tenielle. ‘Beyond the Basics: Transitive, Intransitive, Ditransitive and Ambitransitive Verbs’. The Advocate, Feb. 2015, p. 54-55. Available at: https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=lawfaculty

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In this episode, we talk about the representation of real cultures in video games. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe discuss:

• The scope of ‘culture’, from architecture to penis jokes
• Nationality, regionality, mainstream, and stereotypes
• Accents and how people feel about them
• Games such as Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Life is Strange, Thank Goodness You’re Here, Night in the Woods.

Contains some strong (and other type types of) language.

📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

📚 Resources: 

Bardwell, Thomas. 2020. 'Why Do the Children in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Have American Accents?'. URL: https://www.ccn.com/why-do-the-children-in-assassins-creed-valhalla-have-american-accents/

Moser, Cassidy. 2017. 'Ubisoft Discusses the Lack of French Accents in Assassin's Creed Unity'. URL: https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/15/ubisoft-discusses-the-lack-of-french-accents-in-assassins-creed-unity

Spencer-Oatey, Helen. 2008. Culturally Speaking. Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory. London: Continuum.

Williams, Raymond. 1976. Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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In this episode, we talk about social simulation in games, taking as our starting point Mitu Khandaker's talk ‘Thinking about people: Designing games for social simulation’. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe discuss:

• What’s a social sim?
• Autonomous behaviour versus authored branching stories
• Social simulation in tabletop games
• What are NPCs for?
• The multiple functions of communication and interaction in real life and games
• Games such as The Sims, Baldur's Gate 3, Skyrim, Dragon Age, Redshirts, and Ctrl.Alt.DEL

Contains some strong (and other type types of) language.

📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

📚 Resources: 

Jakobson, Roman. 1960. ‘Linguistics and poetics’. In T. Seboek (ed.) Style in Language, MIT Press, 350-377.

Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/33061075/Jakobson_Eks_15_F12.pdf

Khandaker, Mitu. 2015 ‘Thinking about people: Designing games for social simulation’, Game Developers Conference, San Francisco.

Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haNy1kSHMt8&t=2591s 

Mathiot, Madeleine & Garvin, Paul L. 1975. ‘The functions of language: A sociocultural view’, Anthropological Quarterly, 48(3). 148–156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3316921

Searle, John R. 1975. ‘A taxonomy of illocutionary acts.’ In K. Gunderson (ed.) Language, Mind, and Knowledge, University of Minnesota Press, 344–369.

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In this episode we try to wrap our heads around the concept of 'ludemes'. Hosts Dr. Ibi and Dr. Joe discuss:

• The origins of the term 'ludeme'
• Different games scholars' and game designers' definitions of ludemes
• Comparisons between ludemes, memes, genes, and linguistic concepts such as phonemes and morphemes
• Underlying metaphors used to describe games as systems, such as ‘game as language’ and ‘game as organism’
• The ‘language as organism’ metaphor in historical linguistics
• The economy of metaphors in academia

Contains some strong (and other type types of) language.

📜 If you would like more Say It Like You Play It content, you can find our BLOG here: https://ibibaxterwebb.wordpress.com/blog-podcast/

☕ If you would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/sayitlikeyouplayit

📺 We're also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SayItLikeYouPlayIt

📚 Resources: 

Bojin, Nis. 2010. ‘Ludemes and the Linguistic Turn’. Futureplay '10: Proceedings of the International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and

Technology, Vancouver, 25–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/1920778.1920783 

Browne, Cameron. 2021. ‘Everything’s a Ludeme. Well, Almost Everything’. Proceedings of the XIIIrd Board Game Studies Colloquium (BGS 2021), Paris. 

Available at: https://sorbonne-paris-nord.hal.science/hal-03737317/document

Depaulis, Thierry. 2019. ‘On the Origins of the Word ‘Ludeme’ (French Ludème)’. In Browne et al.,

Foundations of Digital Archaeoludology. Report on Dagstuhl Research Meeting, Saarbrucken, 23–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1905.13516

Available at: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1905.13516

Koster, Raph. 2005. Conference notes for ‘A Grammar of Gameplay (Game Atoms: Can Games be Dia- grammed?)’. Game Developers Conference (GDC ’05), San Francisco. https://www.theoryoffun.com/grammar/gdc2005.htm 

Koster, Raph. 2006. 'A bit on how I think games work' https://www.raphkoster.com/2006/03/05/a-bit-on-how-i-think-games-work/

Koster, Raph. 2006. Comment made March 7, 2006 at 2:44 pm

https://www.raphkoster.com/2006/03/05/a-bit-on-how-i-think-games-work/#comment-3827

Koster, Raph. 2006. Comment made March 7, 2006 at 4:26 pm

https://www.raphkoster.com/2006/03/05/a-bit-on-how-i-think-games-work/#comment-3836

Parlett, David. 2006. ‘What’s a ludeme?’ https://www.parlettgames.uk/gamester/whatsaludeme.html

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