Cultural Heritage, Video Games and Video Gaming. Researching Global Actants with Gamevironments

Abstract

This article discusses the study of cultural heritage, video games and gaming and in particular reflects on the advantages and applicability of the gamevironments approach for this. To do so, it first summarizes the gamevironments approach and offers context information on tangible and intangible heritage and their study. In this, it considers the complex and partly contested nature of the concepts. Building on these reflections, the article then discusses cultural heritage, video games and gaming as well as their research. In its main section, it brings cultural heritage, games, gaming and gamevironments into a conversation. The article finds that a gamevironments lens is overall advantageous as the approach stresses the benefit of moving beyond studying games only and including their environments. Additionally, and more concretely, a gamevironments perspective can support especially two so far less studied aspects in the study of cultural heritage and video games and gaming: researching global contexts with an actant-centered approach.