The Interface Envelope: Gaming, Technology, Power

180 Pages·2016·1.307 MB·English

by  James Ash

The Interface
Envelope

The Interface
Envelope
Gaming, Technology, Power
JAMES ASH

Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc
1385 Broadway 50 Bedford Square
New York London
NY 10018 WC1B 3DP
USA UK
www.bloomsbury.com
BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published 2015
Paperback edition fi rst published 2016
© James Ash, 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publishers.
No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on
or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be
accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ash, James, 1983-The interface envelope : gaming and the logics of affective
design / James Ash.pages cmSummary: “Develops the new theory of ‘interface
envelope’: how interfaces produce envelopes of space and time that serve to
focus users’ perception on the present moment”-- Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62356-459-9 (hardback) 1. Video games--Psychological aspects.
2. Video games--Design 3. User interfaces (Computer systems) I. Title.
GV1469.39.P79A75 2015794.8’1536--dc23
2014034651
ISBN: HB: 978-1-6235-6459-9
PB: 978-1-5013-2000-2
ePub: 978-1-6235-6557-2
ePDF: 978-1-6235-6975-4
Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd
Printed and bound in Gre at Britain
For Calum

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction
1
Attention, economy, power 4
Post-phenomenology and new materialism 7
Media, software and game studies 9
Chapter outlines 11
2 Interface
15
Interface theory 16
Interfaces as objects 25
Interfaces as environments 29
Interface, object, transduction 31
3 Resolution
33
Resolution 34
Neuropower 37
High and low resolution 40
Phasing between resolutions 47
Resolution, habit, power 54
4 Technicity
57
Technicity 59
Psychopower 64
Homogenization 67
Irreversibility 73
Technicity, time, power 78
viii CONTENTS
5 Envelopes 81
Homeomorphic modulation 84
Envelope power 90
Shifting logics of the envelope in games design 95
The contingency of envelopes 103
6 Ecotechnics 105
The ecotechnics of care 109
Ecotechnics of care: Two sites of transduction 111
From suspended to immanent ecotechnical systems of care 115
The temporal deferral of negative aff ect 117
7 Envelope Life 119
Gamifi cation 120
Non-gaming interface envelopes 122
Questioning envelope life 129
Pharmacology 137
8 Conclusions 139
Games/digital interfaces 140
Objects/new materialism/envelopes 143
Power/economy/capitalism 146
Bibliography 149
Index 163