A Comparative Study from Viewpoints of Ludology and Narrotology to Analysis of Aesthetic Modalities of Serious Games

Serious Computer Games are a kind of computer games that in contrary of mainstream computer games’ industry, necessity of mercantile benefits has less importance in their circle of production. Desired aim for producing Serious Games is make obvious informational, attitudinal, behavioral and cognitive changes in players in according to definite pedagogical, educational, instructional, promotional, ideological and therapeutic goals.
In this article, after suggest a definition for serious games, we examine similarities of and differences between two theoretical traditions of game studies – Narrotology and Ludology – in analyzing computer games. Then we study influence of aesthetic features of computer games in realization Serious Computer Games’ functions. To explain different aesthetic features of computer games, we applied theoretical framework of "aesthetic functionalism". According to central Idea of this theory, aesthetic properties in media texts emerges through considered applying of non-aesthetic properties that shapes textual structures. From this theoretical point of view, we evaluating explanations of Ludology and Narrotology theoretical tradition about non-aesthetic textual structure of computer games in a comparative manner. In this article we suggest that studying textual structures of computer games is considerable in three separate (but interconnected) layers of "signal", "narrative" and "procedural". Various non-aesthetic properties stimulate aesthetic properties in each layer.
In final section of this article, the game "Every day the same dream" as a case study of serious game were studied in theoretical approach to "aesthetic functionalism" and through practicing analytical separating of triple layers of the text. Results shows, applying non-aesthetic properties in "signal layer" of the game serves three aesthetic functions. In addition, applying non-aesthetic properties in "narrative layer" serves three aesthetic functions too. Finally, "procedural layer" of the game serves two aesthetic functions. Accumulation of these aesthetic functions serves to realization of main function and completion discursive boundaries of the text as a serious computer game.