Indexação de jogos eletrônicos: a representação dos jogos na plataforma Steam

Abstract

Electronic games are media that have gained prominence in modern society, being primarily distributed through online platforms these days. Considering the nature and variety of themes found in electronic games, as well as their current evidence and relevance, this research aims to address how free electronic games have been indexed based, by content, on the Steam digital platform. The study’s problem is rooted in the fact that electronic games lack a specific thematic treatment within the field of Library Science. This research employs a comparative case study method, applied with a qualitative-quantitative approach, to understand the similarities between indexing practices and concepts with the resources and recommendations on the platform. The theoretical reference discusses knowledge representation and organization, with indexing as one of its activities. It also discusses electronic games concepts, history, and participation on Steam throughout their history. The methodology involves selecting 35 games from the Free to Play section of the platform, divided into 7 different categories. From these selected games, corresponding terms were extracted, emphasizing those terms related to the game themes. The conclusion drawn is that the tagging feature used by Steam in its Steamworks documentation section is similar to the indexing practice observed in Library Science, specifically related to the concepts of folksonomy, where it considers user collaboration in the process of constructing and translating electronic game concepts into natural language, similar to how developers have the Steam’s recommendations.