This document summarizes the Well Played initiative, which includes a journal, books, conferences, and live sessions focused on analyzing and discussing video games. The Well Played journal has been published since 2011 by ETC Press and contains peer-reviewed articles on topics like the meaning and value of play, game analysis and criticism using approaches like literary criticism, and game literacy and mastery. The goal of Well Played is to further understanding of video games as a complex medium through careful interpretation and analysis.

1. Well Played
What the What?
Drew Davidson

2. About Me

3. ETC Press
• First Publication in 2008"
• Experimental, Academic, Open Source"
• Entertainment Technologies Across Fields"
• Books, Journals, Proceedings, Games"
• 38 Publications to Date"
!
• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/

4. Well Played
• Well
Read
&
Well
Made
• Analysis
&
Cri2cism
• Gameplay
&
Narra2ve
• Design
&
Development
• Literacy
&
Mastery

5. Well Played
• Presenta2ons
• Books
• Conferences
• Journal

6. 2nd ICEC in 2003

7. MiT 4 in 2005

8. GLS 3.0 - 2007

9. GLS 4.0 - 2008

10. Meaningful Play - 2008

11. GLS 5.0 - 2009

12. GLS 6.0 - 2010

13. Meaningful Play - 2010

14. Sandbox Summit - 2011

15. GLS 7.0 - 2011

16. IndieCade East - 2013

17. GLS 9.0 - 2013

18. Well Played Books
Video Games, Value and Meaning
• ETC Press"
• 1.0 – 2009"
• 2.0 – 2010"
• 3.0 – 2011"
• 65 Articles

19. GLS 7.0 - 2011
• Well Played
Track of Sessions

20. Well Played Live Sessions
• GLS (2007 - "
• DiGRA (2011 - "
• IndieCade (2011 - "
• Games for Change (2014 -

21. What is it?
• Live Play"
• Illustrate & Analyze"
• Developer Discussion

22. Well Played Journal !
!
• Started in 2011"
• To Date - 3 Volumes, 7 Issues"
• Peer Reviewed"
• Editorial Advisory Board"
• Open Submissions"
• Special Issues"
• Regular Publication "
• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/wellplayed/

23. Why?
• Video Games, Value and Meaning"
• Analysis & Criticism"
• Literacy & Mastery"
• Well Read & Well Made

24. Value & Meaning
• What it Means to Play a Game"
• Why it’s Important"
• Deconstruct & Discuss"
• The Experience of Play

25. Analysis & Criticism
• Close Reading"
• “Textual” Analysis"
• Like Film and Literary Criticism"
• Various Methods

26. Literacy & Mastery
• Flow"
• Procedural"
• Articulation"
• Interactive"
• Learning is Playing

27. Well Read & Well Made
• Playing Games"
• Making Games"
• Value & Meaning"
• Good, Bad, Better

28. Well Played
• Video games are a Complex Medium
that Merits Careful Interpretation and
Insightful Analysis."
!
• Thanks!"
• Questions?"
• drew@andrew.cmu.edu