Wer spielt, wer forscht, wer spricht?

Die Rolle von Frauen in der Fachgeschichte der Game Studies

Abstract

Video games are understood as a male-coded medium, which is also transferred to Game Studies. However, such a perspective obscures the significance of women in Game Studies, in which they repeatedly assumed the role of pioneers. This part of the field's history is repeatedly ignored, however, because the founding myths of Game Studies, its proclamation in 2001, and the subsequent Ludology-versus-Narratology debate claim the field's beginnings. This debate can be understood primarily as a science-political push to set itself apart from established disciplines. However, the discussion and the accompanying attacks were directed primarily against female researchers. This had a lasting impact on the field. The hate campaign within video game culture under the hashtag GamerGate in 2014 represented a further turning point. However, this rather led to a self-reflection and counter-reaction in the field. This article attempts to shed new light on these three phases of Game Studies.