Abstract
Following the invention of the “Viewdata” system in the 1970s, various countries adopted this new technology, as a professional communication tool or as a consumer media (as in France with the “Minitel”). Switzerland, between these two positions, became “the second country of telematics” at the end of 1980s (Comtesse & Inkei, 1991). Telebanking and the telephone directory were identified as the flagship applications. The games remain poorly documented despite their popularity. What can these games reveal about the evolution of digital play? We quantitively analyze 160 games compiled using written sources. We categorized these games into three categories: 1. Telematic Puzzle Games: sponsored by Swiss press organizations, these games form a bridge between “paper puzzle games” (Johnson, 2019) – such as quizzes and word games published in newspapers – and modern “casual games.” 2. Adaptations of Board and Card Games. 3. Computer Lineage Games. Finally, we qualitatively analyze a sample of games through oral history interviews, press clippings, and analyses of digital artifacts. This highlights how Vidéotex game authors navigated technical limitations and incorporated local cultural references to experiment with new forms of gameplay. In so doing we document a forgotten media culture. References Comtesse X. and Inkei D., 1991, La référence Vidéotex, Georg. Johnson, M. R., 2019, “Casual Games Before Casual Games: Historicizing Paper Puzzle Games in an Era of Digital Play”. GamesandCulture, 14(2), 119-138. Maurer, H.A. & Sebestyen, I., 1982, “‘Unorthodox’ videotex applications: Teleplaying, telegambling, telesoftware and telecomputing”. Information Services and Use 2 19-34.
Presenters
Pierre Yves HurelPostdoc, Language and Information Sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Video games, Telematics, Platform studies, Regional history, Oral history
