UC Irvine

When encountering a new digital game, players can rarely access gameplay without first installing and patching the game, assenting to its End User License Agreement, creating an account, or adjusting the audiovisual and gameplay settings. In this dissertation, I critically examine everyday transactions of authority and value in the design of digital games by calling attention to interfaces and interactions on the periphery of gaming such as authentication, character configuration, and physical interfaces. Interfaces like these dictate accessibility and inclusivity and influence how players interact with games. These interfaces set the stakes for what gameplay can be and demand players conform to implicit and explicit norms in return for access to gameplay. Authentication secures access control while enrolling players in data-driven practices that are increasingly commonplace in computational media. Character configuration can allow players to customize their experience, but limits in the design of customization can limit who games can be about. Physical interfaces facilitate gameplay yet constrict game design practice and constrain physiological accessibility. By moving beyond the lens of efficacy that is commonly applied to these interfaces by UX/UI researchers, I re-frame how these interfaces mediate, manage, enable, and enforce transactions of authority for both players and designers alike.