To study or to game?

Studying games through participation is quite common. The logic is simple: In order to analyse games you need to play them - just like studying literature means reading books, or studying films necessitates seeing a few. Its not rocket surgery... Really...

So, what do you do when studying a game and playing the game - becomes interchangable?

I have been fighting for and arguing to my councillors as to why I should be able to utilize my own experiences. It just didnt seem right that after more then 3 years as a WoW fangirl that I shuold disregard all that I have seen, done and heard in game. I wanted to use all the things that got me exited about gamestudies in the first place. And it was agreed that indeed, I should bring in my own perspective and story in my work.

First I saw it as a victory. Now, I see that the victory was not quite mine... It's more likely a strike of brilliance on my councellors part. To be able to use my own experiences, they need to be formalized, noted down methodically and continually. In other words, every time I log into WoW I need to make fieldnotes about what happened, what I did, said and saw.

Its been argued several times that the gameplay of games such as WoW resembles work more then play in many instances. That its largely about going through monotenous, repetative tasks in order to achieve higher goals. So far, I hadnt minded that "blending" of work and play. Now however, play is becoming work. Largely enjoyable work, but still work.

So, why a streak of brilliance on my councellors part?
Well, what better way to keep me from slothing away all my time in game? Every time I consider logging on, I think about my studies. And suddenly I care that much more if its worth playing, if I actually want to game - or if I am simply too lazy to think of something else to do.

Damn brilliance.