DiGRA D-A-CH Game Studies Watchlist #39

?? AHOI there, game studies operators!

Those who have been engaged in horticulture for an extended period may have observed that the time has come to prepare their gardens for the winter season. However, should one wish to postpone this process for a brief period, there is a rationale that can be employed to justify this decision. This rationale is consistent with the subject matter of gardening, and therefore is a valid justification.

In his video essay Good Blood unpacks "the meaning behind Shigeru Miyamoto's 'Miniature Garden' phrase".

https://youtu.be/n3dFAK3Owtg?si=cP3stz64alOcsvlB

The video essay is a comprehensive exploration of the design philosophy of Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative mind behind many iconic Nintendo games, particularly the Legend of Zelda series. It delves into Miyamoto's concept of creating a "miniature garden" or "hakoniwa" in Japanese, which he has consistently referred to in interviews over the past four decades. This philosophy is about creating a playground for innovation, offering audiences new ways to interact with the fantasy world of each game.

The clip also discusses the cultural history and design philosophy of "hakoniwa," which is a celebration of miniaturizing landscapes. It further explores how this philosophy has been applied in the Zelda series, with the first game, The Hyrule Fantasy, being considered the perfect execution of the hakoniwa concept.

However, Miyamoto and his team have often felt that subsequent games in the series have not fully realized this concept, leading to a continuous effort to strike a balance between providing a free play space and implementing pre-planned events or challenges.

In my opinion understanding Miyamoto's "hakoniwa" philosophy is crucial for digital game studies as it provides insight into the design principles that have shaped one of the most influential game series in history: This philosophy emphasizes player creativity and freedom, suggesting a game design approach that values player engagement and interaction with the game world. It also highlights the tension between providing a free play space and implementing pre-planned events or challenges, a common dilemma in game design.

Furthermore, the cultural history and design philosophy of "hakoniwa" offer a unique perspective on game design, demonstrating how cultural concepts can influence and enhance game development. This can encourage game studies to consider cultural influences in game design more broadly.

And finally, the evolution of the Zelda series in striving to embody the "hakoniwa" concept provides a case study of how game design philosophies can drive the development and progression of a game series over time.

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A new Game Studies podcast episode has gone live recently:

I had the great pleasure to talk to Jordan Minor about his latest book Video Game of the Year:

https://newbooksnetwork.com/video-game-of-the-year

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The CfP for the next Nordic DiGRA conference ‘Hope: Envisioning the Future of Game Cultures’ is out! The conference will be organised on 26–28 May 2025 in Turku, Finland. The Nordic DiGRA 2025 conference is organised by the Finnish Society for Game Research in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies.

Please find the CFP and submission guidelines on this page: https://www.nordicdigra2025.org/cfp

Deadline for all submissions is Friday 10 January 2025.

Cheers and stay healthy - Rudolf

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