Bogost- Chapter 1

Ian Bogost- Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Video Games

Chapter 1

Let me begin by saying that I am still not completely sure I fully understand the ideas that are presented in this chapter. I hope that through the group discussion and the reading of later chapters, these ideas will become more concrete.

This focus in this chapter is an explanation of procedural rhetoric. This is accomplished through a detailed examination of the origins of rhetoric and the many accepted forms present in modern society. Bogost defines procedurality as “a way of creating, explaining, or understanding processes. And processes define the way things work.” (Bogost 2-3) He discusses the negative connotation that the procedure has developed. It is seen as something rigid that prevents possible action or reaction. He argues that this is not entirely the case. He contends that while procedures outline the steps one should follow to complete a task, without the establishment of a procedure, we may not see the action as a possibility. He uses the example of store returns to illustrate his point. Without the creation of return procedures, customers may not understand that they have the right to return items.

Bogost also defines the term procedural representation as a way of “explaining processes with other processes.” (Bogost 9) Rather than explaining in words, meaning is derived from the enacting of processes. Procedurality is a fundamental aspect of computers which makes them an ideal “inscription medium.” (Bogost 10) Given that computational procedures are inscribed through code, they are not “subject to the caprice of direct human action.” (Bogost 15) This means that procedures are set and are not subject to the influence of emotion.    

Bogost defines rhetoric as “effective and persuasive expression.” (Bogost 3) He explains the history of rhetoric and its origins as a form of speech used specifically for persuasion. The societal structure of this time required people accused of a crime to personally defend themselves in the form of oratory. Their speech was made in front of an intimidatingly large jury. This resulted in rhetoric being widely taught to help prepare individuals to argue their innocence when necessary. A general structure was created to show what proper rhetorical oratory should include.

Over time, written, artistic and visual rhetoric have been accepted as legitimate forms. These forms of rhetoric no longer focused on persuasion, but emphasized ideas. The concept of rhetoric changed from the creation of “effective influence” to the idea of “effective expression.” (Bogost 20) Oral and written rhetoric allow for “deep analysis” of the words and their meanings. Each separate part of the argument can be broken down and examined. Visual rhetoric is understood more “wholistically” in the fact that our minds interpret it as a whole unit rather than in pieces. People respond to the emotional impact of visual rhetoric and the philosophical impact of written and oral rhetoric.    

Procedural rhetoric is “the practice of using processes persuasively.”(Bogost 3) When someone can understand the way something works, the process, they are much better equipped to make an opinion about it. The best way to truly understand a process is to work through it personally. It may not be feasible, due to time, money, or space constraints, to fully enact the process in real life. Computers, however, can enable us to complete simulations of the process and allow us to fully understand not just the steps, but the choices one must make and the consequences associated with those choices.  Bogost explains that video games are ideally suited to this form of rhetoric. They are engaging, they make ideas “vivid” and allow us to fully perform, within a simulated environment, the steps of the process. Once the process has been enacted and understood, one can make an informed opinion about the process and the overall concept it represents. Video games that use this method to inform can also be used to persuade. By focusing the player’s attention on certain aspects of a process, the player is allowed to analyze those specified situations more deeply. For example, Bogost describes “the McDonald’s game” and how it is used to expose the moral dilemmas associated with running a global fast-food chain. The player must make choices, such as whether to bulldoze indigenous rainforests to make cattle pasture land, and then deal with the consequences of those choices, in this case, environmental groups, global warming, and possible corruption. By understanding the process and all its component parts, they are able to see with much greater clarity, the impact of their choices and the impact of the choices made by those in the real world. Through all of this, you are led to create an opinion, though a guided one, rather than being explicitly told what your opinion should be and why.

Discussion Questions:

1.      Are there commercial games out today, not including those who expressly state that they are designed to persuade, that use this form of rhetoric?

2.      Is the use of it in commercial games a positive or negative aspect to gaming?

3.      How can we best incorporate the use of procedural rhetoric into our SecondLife game?