How to Look at Videogames

A language for understanding how meaning is made in and around videogames in their various forms is critical for both designers and players. For designers, understanding the various conceptual conventions and semiotic resources available to them can help drive more effective design. For players, understanding the ways in which designers intend meaning as well as the ideological frameworks they bring to a game enables a deeper interrogation of their play and a stronger reflective practice. This paper presents a three-tiered framework for visual semiotic analysis: representational/orientational elements, structures and conventions, and ideologies.