{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2478600331","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","title":"The art of failure: an essay on the pain of playing video games","display_name":"The art of failure: an essay on the pain of playing video games","publication_year":2013,"publication_date":"2013-10-21","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2478600331","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","mag":"2478600331"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.5860/choice.51-1301","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764375719","display_name":"Choice Reviews Online","issn_l":"0009-4978","issn":["0009-4978","1523-8253","1943-5975"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310316146","host_organization_name":"Association of College and Research Libraries","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310316146","https://openalex.org/P4310315903"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association of College and Research Libraries","American Library Association"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Choice Reviews Online","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"book-review","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":413,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"51","issue":"03","first_page":"51","last_page":"1301"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11197","display_name":"Digital Games and Media","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11197","display_name":"Digital Games and Media","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10731","display_name":"Educational Games and Gamification","score":0.00019999999494757503,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3204","display_name":"Developmental and Educational Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14092","display_name":"Ethics, Aesthetics, and Art","score":9.999999747378752e-05,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/video-games","display_name":"video games","score":0.9890000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/failure","display_name":"failure","score":0.7879999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/player-experience","display_name":"player experience","score":0.4090000092983246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/frustration","display_name":"frustration","score":0.3449999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/catharsis","display_name":"catharsis","score":0.6629999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tragedy","display_name":"tragedy","score":0.7950000166893005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/game-design","display_name":"game design","score":0.3479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/player-motivation","display_name":"player motivation","score":0.5849999785423279},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/game-enjoyment","display_name":"game enjoyment","score":0.3409999907016754}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3018412434","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7889","display_name":"Video game","level":2,"score":0.6785499453544617},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780027720","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7832608","display_name":"Tragedy (event)","level":2,"score":0.5768871903419495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C122980154","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205555","display_name":"Feeling","level":2,"score":0.5319312810897827},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780658912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2877155","display_name":"BLISS","level":2,"score":0.5146440267562866},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778999518","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8","display_name":"Happiness","level":2,"score":0.5081620216369629},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107038049","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35986","display_name":"Aesthetics","level":1,"score":0.4727441072463989},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C42041008","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156296","display_name":"Catharsis","level":2,"score":0.46181145310401917},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.458965539932251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C519580073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41253","display_name":"Movie theater","level":2,"score":0.43736347556114197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.3019106984138489},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11171543","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41630","display_name":"Psychoanalysis","level":1,"score":0.2692721486091614},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C142362112","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735","display_name":"Art","level":0,"score":0.24427533149719238},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153349607","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36649","display_name":"Visual arts","level":1,"score":0.20067542791366577},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.1812504529953003},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49774154","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131765","display_name":"Multimedia","level":1,"score":0.17822673916816711},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C118552586","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7867","display_name":"Psychiatry","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.5860/choice.51-1301","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.51-1301","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764375719","display_name":"Choice Reviews Online","issn_l":"0009-4978","issn":["0009-4978","1523-8253","1943-5975"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310316146","host_organization_name":"Association of College and Research Libraries","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310316146","https://openalex.org/P4310315903"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association of College and Research Libraries","American Library Association"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Choice Reviews Online","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"display_name":"Quality education","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4","score":0.6600000262260437}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7160227672","https://openalex.org/W2551394317","https://openalex.org/W2951723793","https://openalex.org/W2147040045","https://openalex.org/W4406757727","https://openalex.org/W3185755505","https://openalex.org/W4312556302","https://openalex.org/W3088109103","https://openalex.org/W4293121731","https://openalex.org/W7202062583"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"We":[0],"may":[1,61],"think":[2],"of":[3,13,35,115,149,172,234,245,253,277],"video":[4,27,96,109,164,187,286],"games":[5,97,218],"as":[6,47,111,144,146,289],"being":[7],"fun,":[8],"but":[9,71],"in":[10,45,77,80,112,178,186,195,200,205,213,225,285],"The":[11,275],"Art":[12,276],"Failure,":[14],"Jesper":[15],"Juul":[16,104,153,191],"claims":[17],"that":[18,123,193,201,229,259],"this":[19,106,156],"is":[20,141,198,241,279],"almost":[21],"entirely":[22],"mistaken.":[23],"When":[24],"we":[25,40,48,94,124,131],"play":[26,95,223],"games,":[28,110,287],"our":[29],"facial":[30],"expressions":[31],"are":[32,83,212,250],"rarely":[33],"those":[34],"happiness":[36],"or":[37,50,52,136,292],"bliss.":[38],"Instead,":[39],"frown,":[41],"grimace,":[42],"and":[43,68,88,119,231,265,271],"shout":[44],"frustration":[46],"lose,":[49],"die,":[51],"fail":[53,87,204],"to":[54,56,66,75,86,126,139,159,222,227,268],"advance":[55],"the":[57,161,179,232,251,255],"next":[58],"level.":[59],"Humans":[60],"have":[62],"a":[63,147,196,206,210,242],"fundamental":[64],"desire":[65],"succeed":[67],"feel":[69,89],"competent,":[70],"game":[72,165,188,197],"players":[73],"choose":[74],"engage":[76],"an":[78],"activity":[79],"which":[81],"they":[82,100,175],"nearly":[84],"certain":[85],"incompetent.":[90],"So":[91],"why":[92],"do":[93,168],"even":[98,129],"though":[99],"make":[101],"us":[102,171,221,261,267],"unhappy?":[103],"examines":[105],"paradox.":[107],"In":[108],"tragic":[113],"works":[114],"art,":[116,291],"literature,":[117],"theater,":[118],"cinema,":[120],"it":[121,270],"seems":[122],"want":[125],"experience":[127,269],"unpleasantness":[128],"if":[130],"also":[132,219],"dislike":[133],"it.":[134,274],"Reader":[135],"audience":[137],"reaction":[138],"tragedy":[140],"often":[142],"explained":[143],"catharsis,":[145],"purging":[148],"negative":[150],"emotions.":[151],"But,":[152],"points":[154],"out,":[155],"doesn't":[157],"seem":[158],"be":[160],"case":[162],"for":[163,263,282],"players.":[166],"Games":[167],"not":[169],"purge":[170],"unpleasant":[173],"emotions;":[174],"produce":[176],"them":[177],"first":[180],"place.":[181],"What,":[182],"then,":[183],"does":[184],"failure":[185,194,236,264],"playing":[189],"do?":[190],"argues":[192],"unique":[199],"when":[202],"you":[203,208],"game,":[207],"(not":[209],"character)":[211],"some":[214],"way":[215],"inadequate.":[216],"Yet":[217],"motivate":[220],"more,":[224],"order":[226],"escape":[228],"inadequacy,":[230],"feeling":[233],"escaping":[235],"(often":[237],"by":[238],"improving":[239],"skills)":[240],"central":[243],"enjoyment":[244],"games.":[246],"Games,":[247],"writes":[248],"Juul,":[249],"art":[252,257],"failure:":[254],"singular":[256],"form":[258],"sets":[260],"up":[262],"allows":[266],"experiment":[272],"with":[273],"Failure":[278],"essential":[280],"reading":[281],"anyone":[283],"interested":[284],"whether":[288],"entertainment,":[290],"education.":[293]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":29},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":41},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":32},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":40},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":40},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":64},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":34},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":46},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":24},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":29},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":12},{"year":2014,"cited_by_count":19},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":3}],"updated_date":"2026-10-12T09:40:04.860316","created_date":"2016-08-23T00:00:00"}