Ludology vs. Narratology debate

"This disagreement has been called the ludology vs. narratology debates. The narratological view is that games should be understood as novel forms of narrative and can thus be studied using theories of narrative (Murray, 1997; Atkins, 2003). The ludological position is that games should be understood on their own terms. Ludologists have proposed that the study of games should concern the analysis of the abstract and formal systems they describe. In other words, the focus of game studies should be on the rules of a game, not on the representational elements which are only incidental (Aarseth, 2001; Eskelinen, 2001; Eskelinen, 2004). The idea that a videogame is “radically different to narratives as a cognitive and communicative structure”^[8] has led the development of new approaches to criticism that are focused on videogames as well adapting, repurposing and proposing new ways of studying and theorizing about videogames.^[9][10] A recent approach towards game studies starts with an analysis of interface structures and challenges the keyboard-mouse paradigm with what is called "ludic interfaces"."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_studies

This passage, describes the different practices that have emerged in the study of games. Games have only been around since the early 1970's. There are claims that the games industry surpasses that of the film industry, this claim would suggest that the audience for games is greater than that for film. However, according to kristen thompson, the games industry combines sales of software (games) with hardware (consoles, accessories) in its figures, whereas film only show figures relating to sales of 'software' (films sales and rentals. This would not include sales of DVD players, consoles etc.) So with all 'hardware' removed from this equation, the games industry will account to half of the film industries total sales globally.
http://gamepolitics.com/2010/12/28/games-v-movies-numbers#.UIkeLcUmdAM



The earliest recorded video game was created by William Higinbotham, 1958. Claims that an earlier game was created 1948, almost 10 years earlier by Thomas t. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle R. mann, who patented their game "Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device". However, the player was required to place pictures/illustration onto the screen, whereas Higinbotham's game which displayed its visuals on the screen.

The game was played on a brookhaven national laboratory oscilloscope. Players queued up to play.

William Higinbotham

"Tennis for two"
"Tennis for Two was first introduced on October 18, 1958, at one of the Lab’s annual visitors’ days."

"Higinbotham realized how static and non-interactive most science exhibits were at that time. As head of Brookhaven Lab’s Instrumentation Division, he would change that. While reflecting on his creation, Higinbotham wrote, “it might liven up the place to have a game that people could play, and which would convey the message that our scientific endeavors have relevance for society." 
http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp

It wasn't until 1962 the first game created for the computer, by Steve Russell, who created the game 'spacewars'. The aim of the game was to shoot obstructions/ asteroids in space.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcomputer_videogames.htm

The earliest games created were built with one function, with no narrative whatsoever, and still were successful as games. As games developed and graphics, functionality and networking has become more complex across this medium, games are being recognized by narratologists as a medium for story and narration.

Games such as Zelda, Final fantasy and Assassins creed could all be considered story driven games. All are extremely successful, but the same can be said for games like Mario brothers, Sonic the hedgehog and street fighter. Its difficult at this point to really know what it is about these games that make them so successful. Some clear parameters need to be made on arguments made by:

• Ludologists
• Narratologists

Both parties have clear ideas on what makes a game successful and what games purposes have within society today. 

With that in mind I will then look at the purposes of a game (games meaning any board game, book, video etc. and key devices that are specific to games) and then the purpose of a story and the devices that make a story successful (or unsuccessful). I'll be able to compare the two forms, and hopefully find a formula that shows how these two mediums can be combined.

Ludology

etymology: 'Ludo' latin for game, ludology simply means the study of games, particularly of board games, until recently as games have developed.

Though ludology would include video game theory, it goes beyond this as this area of study includes ALL games. It takes a formal approach to the study of games and its place in media ecology.
http://www.ludology.org/2001/07/what-is-ludolog.html

David Jaffe, creator of the game 'God of War', believes stories in video games is a set back and claims this has even stunted the development of video games.

"Jaffe claimed the industry has mistakenly focused on storytelling since the early 90s, and elaborated in a recent interview, "I think with...the advent of CDs for game storage, and then high end graphics and voice actors and all this -- cutscenes -- games kind of got off on a bit of a wrong track that was very appealing, but it wasn't necessarily the only track we should have got off on. And I think that's what the lesson taught me" - Gamesutra
http://www.1up.com/news/god-war-creator-calls-story

Narratology

narratology is primarily the study and representation of narrative within literature, film and digital media.
http://www.narratology.net/

narratologist Stephen Dinehart, founder of the Narrative Design Explorer, which combines lugology, narratology and game design to create interactive storytelling or a term he coined as 'transmedia storytelling'.

"He was final nominee for “Best Writing for a Game Production” for Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts at the 2nd Annual Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts(2007), and the game won “Nokia Award for Outstanding Innovation in Gaming."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Dinehart

I will explore the purposes of games and narration in depth and compare later on for my own study and conclude my response on the ludology vs. narratology debate. I hope to identify the future for both practices within games, individually and combined.