Playing Software: Homo Ludens in Computational Culture

Price: $14.99
(as of May 20,2023 22:44:25 UTC – Details)

The way we interact with computers, whether with video games, spreadsheets, or social media, is driven by the play element. In his book, Playing Software, Miguel Sicart explores the reasons why we play with software, the impact of play on culture and society, and the dangers of malefactors weaponizing play for their purposes, such as promoting conspiracy theories or extractive capitalism. Sicart argues that software is an important agent in the information age that shapes our culture and the way we create and think about digital technology, mainly through play.

Sicart suggests that play shapes software agency, which, in turn, shapes our agency as we adapt and relate to it. As we engage with software through play, we create new cultural, social, and political forms. Sicart also highlights the role of make-believe in driving our playful engagement with the digital realm. Furthermore, he discusses the cybernetic theory of digital play and its combination with the concept of pleasurable interaction with human and nonhuman agents within a computational system. Finally, Sicart criticizes the abuse and instrumentalization of play as a tool by platform capitalism.

Publisher: The MIT Press (February 14, 2023)
Language: English
Hardcover: 184 pages
ISBN-10: 0262047721
ISBN-13: 978-0262047722
Item Weight: 1.05 pounds
Dimensions: 6.31 x 0.79 x 9.31 inches