Book chapter
Towards a Legal Ludology: Language Games, Playful Magic, and the Game of Law
Law, Video Games, Virtual Realities: Playing Law, pp.31-50
TechNomos: Law, Technology and Culture, Routledge
2024
Abstract
This chapter seeks to trace the ludology of law. It traces the ‘gameplay’ of law through the lens of a video game which reduces legal practice to a gamified,
virtual space – Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Ace Attorney frames the operation of law around the process of cross-examination and the cataloguing of evidence, with the ‘game’ of law framed as selecting which exact line of testimony contradicts the catalogued evidentiary exhibits. While on its face this seems like a narrative game based around dialogue selection, the means through which the player engages with this virtual legality – the avatar as advocate and the non-playable character (NPC) of the witness – allows this trial of the player-attorney to enable a re-rendering of the legal trial. In attempting to simplify and gamify the trial process, Ace Attorney exposes the ‘play’ at the heart of law and the dehumanising, meta-textuality which sustains it.
Details
- Title
- Towards a Legal Ludology: Language Games, Playful Magic, and the Game of Law
- Authors
- Dale Mitchell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
- Contributors
- Dale Mitchell (Editor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyAshley Pearson (Editor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyTimothy Peters (Editor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
- Publication details
- Law, Video Games, Virtual Realities: Playing Law, pp.31-50
- Series
- TechNomos: Law, Technology and Culture
- Publisher
- Routledge
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781003197805-3; 10.4324/9781003197805
- ISBN
- 9781003197805
- Organisation Unit
- Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99749698402621
- Output Type
- Book chapter
Metrics
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