Before Entering Games: The Base and Accessibility of Games

Abstract

Virtual reality is often considered a space independent of reality. A typical example of virtual reality is digital games. However, digital games can only run when there is a machine with an electrical signal. In addition, space for the machine to be installed is also essential. Until now, game studies have mainly dealt with the inside of the game based on the media attributes of the game. The outside of the game, for example, space or machines that form the physical foundation, has not received much attention. Before talking about the process of entering the game, discussions have already begun since accessing virtual reality. This study aims to showcase the barriers to entry in the game culture that is considered open to everyone and to urge research interest. We have chosen this approach as if we only discuss the difficulties after entering the game without imagining the process that has taken place beforehand, it will be difficult to see the inequality. Gaming is also a mobility phenomenon because it moves from reality to virtual reality. Kaufmann’s concept of motility is used as the theoretical background to explore this problem. By collecting and reading various previous studies such as mobility infrastructure, the digital divide, and the context of domestication of game consoles, this research aims to reveal the realistic conditions of virtual reality considered transparent today.