Games Channels

Channels of distribution in this quadrant include direct links from in-game menus, on-line gamer communities forums and other sharing sites that are moderated in some way by the games developer (directly or indirectly, e.g. forums, community sites).

Machinima distributed through these channels is dependent upon makers’ abilities as performers / digital puppeteers. Perfect capture machinima (e.g. Quake DEM files) are the earliest and most clearly defined example - the demonstration of technique to fellow gamers, being their reason d’être. The intended reach of films distributed in this quadrant varies from a global audience (e.g. Xbox One / PS4 networks) to more a more selective viewership, representing sub-groups of the gamer community (e.g. gamer clans or guilds).

Works made within simulation games (e.g. SIMS2, The Movies, GTA5) or virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life©) are also performative, as demonstrated through the machinimator’s skilled manipulation of characters, scenery and other objects. The sandbox (or free-roam) nature of such games (in which game rules are fewer and more flexible) allows for greater experimentation, allowing the development story lines and narratives unassociated with the core themes / objectives of the game. As familiarity with the game world is no longer a prerequisite, a much wider audience is potentially available and this is reflected in the channels of distribution, which extend beyond the communities of their ‘parent’ worlds.