Abstrakt
The article explores the way a particular glitch is defined in video game culture and argues that the process of definition is in fact a negotiation between different groups of stakeholders. After a glitch is identified, the process of negotiation among the players, press and developers continues.
The use of a glitch also has to be defined and interpreted. In this article, I take a closer look at glitches that interact with microtransactions in full-price video game titles, using examples from two games published by EA: Mass Effect 3 and Dead Space 3.
While players of both games used glitches to bypass the microtransactions, fan and press reactions to these two cases of glitch exploitation were significantly different. While nearly no one questioned Mass Effect 3's missile glitch to be a cheat of sorts, the infinite respawn glitch from Dead Space 3 was subject to many discussions regarding its nature as a glitch or a feature.
This article analyzes the discourse of glitch discussions and offers explanations as to why the two cases have differed so radically.