Walkthrough: videogames and technocultural form - Seth Giddings

List of commonly used acronyms
AI: the science of Artificial Intelligence, and in videogames, the aspects of the game code that facilitate more
or less complex or responsive behaviour on the part of NPCs or the gameworld
ALife: the science of Artificial Life
ANT: Actor-Network Theory
CPU: central processing unit of a computer. In computer game discourse, CPU sometimes refers to the
computer itself as a player
FPS: first person shooter. Videogame genre characterised by the presentation of the gameworld as if through
the player’s point-of-view and by a game dynamic of weapon-based combat
HCI: human-computer interaction.
HUD: head-up display. In the design of fighter pilot helmets for instance, the projection of computer data
onto the visor, allowing the pilot to see the environment and data simultaneously. In videogames a
simulation of this as part of the visual interface (notably in FPSs); crosshairs, health levels, etc. presented
over the gameworld
MMOG: massively multiplayer online game. E.g. online virtual worlds such as Second Life.
MMORPG: massively multiplayer online role-playing game. MMOG with a role-playing structure and
motive, e.g. World of Warcraft
MUD: multi-user dungeon or multi-user domain. Text-based online virtual world / game. Often with a
fantasy theme.
NPC: non player character, controlled by the CPU
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