NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

DEKALB, ILLINOIS
JUNE 2012
VIDEO GAME WALKTHROUGHS AS INSTRUCTIONAL TEXTS

BY
MEGAN LYNN FRY
2012 Megan Lynn Fry

THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE

SCHOOL
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
MASTER OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Thesis Directors:
Jessica Reyman & Phil Eubanks

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Jessica Reyman, who was my first committee chair,
for her unwavering support, guidance, and patience throughout the first portion
of my project, as well as Phil Eubanks for helping me complete this project. I
would also like to thank Michael Day and Betty Birner for their insights during

this project. Lastly, a special thanks goes out to my family Brad, Gail, and Aly
Fry for always giving me whatever help they could.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURESv
LIST OF APPENDICESvi
INTRODUCTION...1
METHODOLOGY.2
LITERATURE REVIEW4
GENRE ANALYSIS...11
Exigence..12
Content14
Style..14
Form..17

Textual and Graphical Form.18

Evolution....21
Audience..22
INTERVIEW RESULTS.23
General Background Information...23
Walkthrough Use.24
Walkthrough Perceptions & Assessments....27
Summary33
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS...34
WORKS CITED.38

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APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS43

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Section Title in RE1 Walkthrough18
Figure 2: Section Title in RE5 Walkthrough18
Figure 3: RE2 ASCII Graphic19
Figure 4: RE5 ASCII Graphic.20

LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: Interview Questions43

Introduction
Online video game walkthroughs are a genre of instructional discourse that has not
yet been studied. Mia Consalvo defines walkthroughs as detailed guides to how a
player should play a game sequentially to find all of the hidden bonuses and surprises,
how to avoid certain death and how to advance past difficult puzzles or trouble spots
to best play and win the game (327). This definition of walkthroughs aligns with
David Farkass definition of instruction: written and spoken discourse that guides
people in performance of a task (42). Walkthroughs meet that definition of
instructional discourse. However, as a genre, they do more than just instruct.
Online walkthroughs are not the only type of instructional text for video
games. Other instructional texts include instruction manuals and answer keys.
Instruction manuals tell the player-reader how to play the game by including basic
start-up information pertaining to the game console itself, a brief summary of the
game, brief biographies of the characters, and descriptions of items in the game;
however, instruction manuals do not guide the player-reader through the game, or tell
them where all the items can be found. In short, these instruction manuals are little
more than introductions to the games they come with. Answer keys provide answers
to frequently asked questions, addressing only specific portions within the game.
Strategy guides are yet another form of instructional text related to video
games. They contain hints or solutions to complex problems within games, but differ
from walkthroughs in several ways. They are professionally written and published in

1
bound book format and contain more peripheral information than walkthroughs, like
concept art, detailed maps, interviews with creators, and more. They tend to be
viewed as collectors items. In contrast, walkthroughs provide a tutorial through the
game.
Because they are different from instruction manuals and strategy guides,
walkthroughs perform a function that is intrinsic to the gaming community. Games
have become more complex as the technology has advanced, containing more
puzzles, clues, and objectives that need to be met to complete the game.
Walkthroughs became more complex as video games did to ensure that all necessary
information was included. Because of this, the questions I seek to answer with this
research are twofold:

What is the rhetorical exigence (i.e., the social situation from which online
walkthroughs spring) for video game walkthroughs?

What purpose for player-readers and -writers1 or the gaming community do

video game walkthroughs serve?

Methodology
I conducted a genre analysis of five walkthroughs for the Resident Evil series:
Resident Evil Players Guide (1996), by Mark Stephenson; Resident Evil 2 (1999), by
Stinger 3:16; Resident Evil 3 Nemesis Walkthrough (1999); Resident Evil 4
Walkthrough (2004), by Deuce ex Defcon; and Resident Evil 5 Survival Guide (2009),
by ChaosDemon. I obtained all of these walkthroughs from GameFAQS.com.
I chose the walkthroughs according to three criteria: (1) they had to be written
1

A player-reader is the person who is using the online video game walkthrough. A player-writer is
the author of the online video game walkthrough.

2
for the Sony Playstation, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3, (2) the publication dates
could be no more than two years from the release dates of the games, and (3) with one
exception, the walkthroughs had to be rated as complete and thorough. I included the
Resident Evil 2 walkthrough because it met the first two criteria, and, after searching
ign.com and stuckgamer.com for a complete Resident Evil 2 walkthrough, I found no
walkthrough that was a better fit.
The genre analysis of these walkthroughs examined the exigence, content,
style, form, evolution, and audience of the walkthroughs. Based on this analysis, I
discovered what purpose they serve and how they differ from instruction manuals and
strategy guides.
In addition to conducting a genre analysis of these walkthroughs, I
interviewed six walkthrough users. My questions sought to answer general
background information of the participants, how they used walkthroughs, and their
assessments and perceptions of walkthroughs as instructional texts. The questions
were divided into three categories: (1) background/general information about gaming
habits, (2) participants use of instructional texts, (3) and participants assessments
and perceptions of instructional texts.2.
The genre analysis and interviews help technical communicators understand
the genre of online walkthroughs and show that the boundaries of professional writing
are expanding. These research methods provided in-depth information that helped
define and solidify online video game walkthroughs as a genre of instructional
discourse. Based on the research I conducted, I argue that the exigence that creates
online walkthroughs is to provide goal-oriented information to player-readers more
2

For a complete list of questions, see Appendix A.

3
quickly than other instruction texts. Additionally, I argue that the purpose
walkthroughs serve for gamers and the gaming community is twofold: (1) to guide
player-readers through a video game in a sequential manner that allows the playerreaders to complete a specific task, and (2) to allow player-writers to gain currency or
credibility within the gaming community.
Literature Review
Before I can complete a discussion of walkthroughs, it is first important to understand
what, specifically, walkthroughs are. After I define walkthroughs, I will explain what
characteristics make walkthroughs unique. Once a clear definition has been given
about this instructional text, I will then discuss genre and the role it plays in
understanding the walkthroughs purpose.
The player-writer created free walkthrough appears to have evolved as a
response to expensive strategy guides. According to Consalvo, walkthroughs are
guides that tell the player-reader how to successfully complete the game and
[correspond] with the progression of the game, and include lists of terms, items,
weapons, and other things that players would find helpful (Consalvo 178-79).
Walkthroughs guide the player-reader through a game while disclosing the locations
of all the items and weapons and tell the player-reader how to defeat enemies,
including bosses. With titles that directly match the titles in the game, walkthroughs
are divided into chapters or levels.
Alenda Chang provides a similar definition, saying that walkthroughs are
how-to guides authored by experienced players for the purpose of guiding novice
players through difficult material (68). Both Consalvo and Chang agree.

4
Walkthroughs are written by player-writers to guide player-readers through a game.
Since the walkthroughs in my sample are plaintext files [and strip] away the audiovisual representation[,] the GameFAQS walkthrough reduces a video game to its most
fundamental constituents (Ashton Relations of Control), meaning that the all-text
walkthroughs strip away any extraneous information, leaving the player-reader with
only necessary information.
According to Consalvo, gaming researchers have only recently begun to pay
attention to walkthroughs, examining the exchange of game-playing information
(tips) for its role in building good player relations (152). Although this research
was focused on the role walkthroughs play in cheating, the notion that walkthroughs
create good player relations is relevant to a discussion of the purpose. In fact, in the
walkthrough for Resident Evil 1, the author said [hes] had a lot of people ask [him]
for this FAQ so [hes] decided to publish it here (Stephenson Resident Evil Players
Guide). By helping player-readers through the game, player relations improve
because player-writers provide a recording of different playing styles [and] a
resource that other players might draw from (Ashton Relations of Control), thus
allowing for the player-reader to approach a game in a different fashion and allowing
the player-writer to gain status in the gaming community.
According to Consalvo, GameFAQs was started in 1995, and the material
presented is comprehensive, well-written, player created, [and free] (178). Because
most players do not want to spend $20 extra for a strategy guide that discourages
using the walkthrough, and because instruction manuals provide only introductory
information, gamers have turned to the internet, where they can write and publish

5
their own walkthroughs, including as much or as little detail as they wish. Thus
walkthroughs provide player-readers a viable alternative to the expensive strategy
guides and the nearly useless instruction manuals.
Based on this definition, walkthroughs fall into the genre of instructional text.
However, while all instructional texts provide information to help a player-reader
with a game, walkthroughs are a distinct subgenre because the information is in a
narrative format and in the imperative mood. Walkthroughs establish a conversational
quality between the player-writer and the player-reader because of their format, and
this conversation is an expert guiding a novice. These distinctions set walkthroughs
apart from other instructional texts that categorize and index information that are not
intrinsic to the game-playing experience.
The purpose of any instructional discourse is to address the users desire for
information (Lannon 2). Farkass definition of instructional discourse states that the
purpose is to guide users through a task. Walkthroughs fit this definition exactly: they
guide player-readers through tasks, missions, and a game, and, in so doing, provide
player-readers with desired information. However, this definition alone is not what
makes a piece of writing instructional discourse. There are several formal
characteristics, laid out by both Lannon and Farkas, that instructional texts must
follow.
According to Lannon, instructional texts should contain a clear, limiting title,
informed content, visuals, [an] appropriate level of technicality, [and should] use
direct address, active voice and imperative mood (463-71). Farkass components of
instructional texts are similar to Lannons, but there are two new components: (1)

6
conceptual elements, which provide additional explanatory information, and (2)
infinitive subheadings, which group closely related information together (46-7).
Instructional documents must contain a title, a conceptual element, subheadings,
necessary content, appropriate language (technicality), active voice, and imperative
mood. Cooper argues that professional writers should do more than focus on the
clarity of the language but should also construct networks of meanings and
background experiences and skills within a piece of instructional text, while
realizing that writers and readers use a variety of means (i.e., language, signs,
experiences) to situate themselves in the world and achieve their goals. Thus, writers
should take these factors into account when writing instructional texts, which allows
readers to use their experiences to understand the text (Cooper 393).
The walkthroughs in my sample have titles, necessary content, conceptual
elements, subheadings, some visuals (though they are basic), appropriate technicality,
and the imperative mood. They also take into account the player-readers different
experiences in that the writing style is clear, and the walkthroughs help player-readers
meet their purposes. Based on this information, and Lannons, Farkass, and Coopers
definitions of instructional discourse, walkthroughs do not only exhibit features of
instructional discourse, they respond to a special exigence. To understand exigence, it
is first important to understand genre.
Miller argues that when a type of discourseacquires a common name
within acommunity, thats a good sign that its functioning as a genre (Blogging
as Social Action) and that genre focuses on the action it is meant to perform, not its
content or form (Genre as Social Action 151). Millers description fits

7
walkthroughs because they have a common name in the gaming community, and the
authors focus more on guiding player-readers through a game than the specific form
of a walkthrough; thus video game walkthroughs are a genre.
Genres respond to recurring social situations. While different types of
instructional texts related to video games include generic instructional elements such
as information about the game, items/weapons in the game, and how to defeat
enemies and bosses, the player-writer of walkthroughs introduces less standard
instructional elements such as allowing the player-reader to cheat his or her way
through the game, gaining status and recognition in the gaming world, and improving
player-reader/player-writer relations. These generic factors are what make up the
distinguishing characteristics in any given game instructional text. They are also the
factors created by the social situation.
Miller also argues that genre is a social action (Genre as Social Action
156) that is dynamic [and] evolutionary [in] nature (Blogging as Social Action).
This aligns closely with Berkenkotter and Huckins principle of dynamism, which
states that genres are formed from actors responses to recurrent situationsthat
serve to stabilize experience and give it coherence and meaning. [They] change over
time in response to users sociocognitive needs (4). Genres are social actions because
they are created by the needs of a community - in this case, the needs of the gaming
community dictate the creation of walkthroughs; yet they are also fluid, in that
walkthroughs have evolved over time to meet the needs of player-readers and playerwriters.
Miller claims exigence causes or creates discourse; she defines exigence as a

8
situation that is a social construct[which] is the resultof definition (Genre as
Social Action 156). Exigence also relates to the idea that genres emerge within a
particular sociohistorical context (Berkenkotter and Huckin 5). In this case,
environment and sociohistorical context are the same: when walkthroughs emerged as
a genre, player-readers needed free, clear directions for ever more complex video
games, and player-writers were able to post walkthroughs online. Thus, exigence - or
the need for player-readers to obtain clear instructions and the need for player-writers
to gain status - is the reason that walkthroughs are used and written.
Amy Devitt shares a similar view of genre as Miller. Devitt argues that in
order to understand genre we must first understand the origins of the patterns on
which those classifications are based, meaning that genre is not defined by form or
content, but also entails purpose, participants, and themes, so understanding genre
entails understanding a rhetorical and semiotic situation and a social context (Devitt
575-76). Going back to Millers idea that we are using a stock of knowledge
(Genre as Social Action 156), we are able to assume certain things about a text
when we read it. We make assumptions about the formthe texts purposes, its
subject matters, its writer and its expected readers (Devitt 575). Along the same lines
as using a stock of knowledge, Miller also claims that we must see genre in relation
to kairos, or socially perceived space-time. The kairos of a genre is a combination of
current discourse, shared characteristics, and the way in which it [kairos] can seize
on the unique opportunity of a fleeting moment to create a new rhetorical possibility
(Blogging as Social Action), meaning that kairos allows new genres to emerge.
The idea of kairos relates to Coopers idea of a postmodern communication

9
model for instructional texts. This model assumes that [readers] are social beings
whose varying purposes, experiences, backgrounds, and interactions heavily
determine the meaning they draw from texts (388). Millers and Coopers ideas of a
stock of knowledge, kairos, and a postmodern communication model allow readers to
make assumptions about texts and their purposes. Genre must be viewed as a social
situation in socially perceived space-time. As such, the development of a genre does
not happen in a vacuum, but rather as a response to recurring situations. In my study
there are three recurring situations: (1) the need for player-readers to have easy access
to free, clear instructions through a game, (2) the need for player-writers to showcase
their expertise and gain status in the gaming community, and (3) the needs of these
two groups of people (player-readers and player-writers) converge so that gamer-togamer relations are improved through the use of walkthroughs. Although a relatively
new genre, walkthroughs have developed in response to the player-readers desire to
complete a video game. Though it would seem desirable that instruction manuals and
strategy guides provide the same information as walkthroughs, game designers resist
this inclination because providing free guidance through video games in instruction
manuals and strategy guides wrests control away from the game designers and the
companies, while simultaneously giving more control to the player-readers.
Consalvo notes that some gamers see the use of strategy guides or
walkthroughs as cheating because the player-readers are subverting the rules of the
game (7). However, Consalvo also says there is no clear-cut path and no objectively
correct answer to what constitutes cheating in [video] games (177). Walkthroughs
place more control in the hands of the player-writers and player-readers by extending

10
the technical limits of a game. Walkthroughs as instructional texts arise out of and
satisfy the gaming communitys desire to enhance and supplement the player-readers
experiences by giving them the option of playing the video game in a way that may
differ from the game designers intentions.
As noted earlier, one player-writer of a video game walkthrough wrote it
because people had requested that he write one. By writing and posting the
walkthrough, that player-writer answered the player-readers desire for knowledge,
improved gaming relations and obtain[ed]recognition (Consalvo 179). From this
statement we can infer that the player-writers reasons for writing a walkthrough are
not wholly altruistic. Although the player-writer does seek to help other playerreaders through a game, the player-writer also seeks recognition for the work he or
she puts in to writing the walkthrough. However, to improve relationships and gain
status, player-writers must establish ethos, i.e., authority or credibility, within the
community. As will be discussed later, player-writers develop ethos by writing what
player-readers consider helpful walkthroughs.
Genre Analysis
This section focuses on the attributes of genre as discussed above. Walkthroughs
exhibit typical textual and graphical features that respond to particular rhetorical
exigencies; however, these features come and go as the genre evolves. Based on my
genre analysis, I can show that walkthroughs follow textual and graphical features of
a genre that are created by the social exigencies and that walkthroughs evolve to meet
the needs of player-readers. This section will be devoted to the exigence, content, and
style, form, evolution, and audience of walkthroughs.

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Up until this point the generic conventions that walkthroughs adhere to have
been discussed only in general terms. However, I discovered that they share several
elements, such as exigence, content, style, form, evolution, and audience.
EXIGENCE
Two exigencies created walkthroughs: (1) player-readers wanted a sequential guide
through games, and (2) player-writers wanted to increase their ethos, and thus gain
credit in the gaming community. I inferred these needs from the introductory
statements that almost all the player-writers made. Stephenson stated that he had
several people asking him to post his walkthrough. Stinger 3:16 said, I hope that you
like my [FAQ] and can find some useful info (Resident Evil 2 Walkthrough).
Webcraft and ChasoDemon had similar reasons for writing their walkthroughs. These
statements indicate that the player-writers want to assist the player-readers
successfully complete games.
In the walkthroughs I analyzed, all five player-writers explicitly told the
player-readers what purpose the walkthrough would serve and why the walkthrough
was written. For example, in the Resident Evil 1 walkthrough, Stephenson said he
published the walkthrough because a number of players requested it. He went on to
say, Ive seen a few walkthroughs for [Resident Evil 1] and they werent complete
enough (Resident Evil Players Guide). Similarly, the player-writer, ChaosDemon,
stressed detail where necessary, and that the walkthrough will be focused on
getting you through the game (Resident Evil 5 Survival Guide). In both instances, the
player-writers clearly state the purpose of their walkthroughs: to guide player-readers
through the game. At its core, that is the purpose of any walkthrough.

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Additionally, several player-writers indicated that they wanted credit for the
work they had done. Stinger3:16 said, If you want to post my [FAQ] on your site,
please ask me for permission first (Resident Evil 2 Walkthrough). Deuce ex Defcon
and ChaosDemon requested to be contacted before anyone reposted their guides.
Webcraft stated that his Resident Evil 3 walkthrough was for personal use only
(Resident Evil 3 Walkthrough). Clearly, the authors want recognition for the work
theyve done, and they expressly ask for it.
The walkthroughs I analyzed also serve another purpose: to garner credit for
the player-writer in the gaming community. The player-writers use the introductions
to say they want recognition for their work. In the Resident Evil 2 walkthrough, the
player-writer said, I work[ed] hard on making this walkthrough. He followed this
statement with lists of requirements for reposting, such as first obtaining his
permission for any reposting, not giving the walkthrough away, and not changing
anything in the walkthrough (Stinger 3:16 Resident Evil 2 Walkthrough). Webcraft
also had a terms of use paragraph, prohibiting the use of his walkthrough in books,
magazines, and guides; he asked that anyone wishing to repost his walkthrough
obtain his permission first (Resident Evil 3 Walkthrough). By acknowledging the
difficulty of writing walkthroughs and setting forth use requirements to ensure they
get credit for their work, player-writers increase their credibility and gain status
because they imply that they have completed the game, have taken the time to write
the walkthrough, and have expectations about the use of their walkthroughs. As seen
in the above examples, walkthroughs serve two distinct purposes, and the playerwriters meet those purposes using different rhetorical tools.

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CONTENT
The content of the walkthroughs in my sample includes several features such as the
title, introductory statements, ASCII graphics, maps, lists, tables of contents and the
walkthrough itself. These features will be discussed in greater detail below. For now,
just know that they are features that help make up the content of walkthroughs. Each
of these features falls under Millers semantics category (Blogging as Social
Action) because they are the substance that makes up the walkthroughs.
STYLE
The walkthrough itself can be described as a narrative of the game. It is a dramatized
narrative written by one player-writer who provides his opinions on the best way to
complete the game. In my sample, player-writers describe the method they used, but
they do not claim to provide the correct way to play the game. Several player-writers
say, either explicitly or implicitly, that the instructions in the walkthroughs are not the
only way to play the game. For instance, Deuce ex Defcon said, this guide is just my
personal advice. The author acknowledges that there are other methods to beat the
game (Resident Evil 4 Walkthrough). These narratives lead the player-reader through
the game from beginning to end. The use of the imperative mood and second person
pronouns indicates that the player-writer is telling the story of the game to the playerreader.
Each player-writer has a distinct writing style, which makes the walkthroughs
unique. For instance, Stephenson uses a basic and unclear writing style. The first
sentence of the walkthrough states, Your first objective is to find some clues
(Resident Evil 1- Players Guide); however, he doesnt say what or where the clues

14
might be. Thirteen years later, ChaosDemon uses a clearer and more descriptive
writing style to begin the walkthrough: As the game begins, you will find yourself in
the midst of an African village. There wont be any hostiles yet, so just sprint straight
ahead (Resident Evil 5 Survival Guide). These two examples illustrate two different
writing styles: Stephensons writing style is unclear because he lacks descriptive
details, whereas ChaosDemons writing provides more descriptive details for the
player-reader.
Two other fixed elements also found in my sample were mood and person.
Each walkthrough is written in the imperative mood, telling the player-reader what he
or she must do. For example, in the Resident Evil 3 walkthrough, one of the first
sentences is forget about him, coz your game starts here (Webcraft Resident Evil 3
Walkthrough). Another example of a command is found in the Resident Evil 5
walkthrough, where the player-writer says open fire on the single Majini (Resident
Evil 5 Survival Guide). In both examples, the player-writers command the playerreaders to complete an action. Commands are typical in the Resident Evil
walkthroughs and are used when a player-reader must perform a specific action like
run, grab, shoot, or fight. In the walkthroughs I analyzed, the player-writer uses the
second person to guide the player-reader through the game. In the Resident Evil 5
walkthrough, the player-writer says you will find yourself in the midst of an African
village (Resident Evil 5 Survival Guide). In the Resident Evil 3 walkthrough, the
player-writer says you will see the bar right in front of youyou have to enter from
the back (Resident Evil 3 Walkthrough). The imperative is used when the playerreader needs to perform a specific action whereas the indicative is used to move the

15
narrative along. For instance, the Resident Evil 1 walkthrough contained 346
indicative sentences, the Resident Evil 2 walkthrough contained 36 indicative
sentences, the Resident Evil 3 walkthrough contained 543 indicative sentences, the
Resident Evil 4 walkthrough contained 629 indicative sentences, and the Resident
Evil 5 walkthrough contained 657 indicative sentences. With each walkthrough
(excluding Resident Evil 2) there is an increase in indicative sentences. This is most
likely caused by the increased complexity of the games and the need for more
guidance.
These language forms work for the walkthrough genre because they allow the
player-writer to assume a role of authority within the gaming community. By giving
the player-reader commands and directing him or her where to go, the player-writer
asserts his or her knowledge of the game and thus situates him- or herself as an expert
guiding a novice. Additionally, the language forms used create a conversation
between the player-writer and the player-reader. The conversational aspect is
important because it reinforces a player-writers authority of the subject matter, and a
player-readers role as a novice seeking guidance. By using the second person, both in
the imperative and indicative moods, the player-writer creates the conversational
aspect that furthers the expert to novice relationship.
In this case, content creates a story that tells the player-reader how to play the
game successfully. By writing the walkthrough as a narrative, the player-writer also
creates its form.
FORM
In all five walkthroughs for the Resident Evil series, the form was a narrative that told

16
the story of the game from beginning to end. For instance, each walkthrough is
written in an essay structure, with different sections and paragraphs. The sections
indicate a new level, and the paragraphs describe specific tasks. Stuart Selber notes
instruction sets provide step-by-step procedures for accomplishing physical or
mental tasks (97). Although much of the games plot is included in the walkthrough,
Selbers definition is similar to Consalvos because she claims that walkthroughs
perform the same function as instructional texts. Selber also says headings[are]
the primary means by which technical communicators impose lines of dominance in
functional text (100). In all the walkthroughs from my sample, headings were the
primary way to set sections apart, thus creating the structure within each walkthrough.
Another textual feature found in all five walkthroughs was the introductory or
terms of use statements made by each author, which explained how the walkthrough
could be used. Even though none of the player-writers in my sample made any
explicit comments about the relationship between strategy guides and walkthroughs,
the player-writers implied strongly their desire to circumvent the wishes of the game
designers and professional writers because many of the authors included these
statements. One player-writer said that his walkthrough is not to be used for
profitable or promotional purposes. This includes being incorporated, reprinted or
otherwise used by magazines, books, guides, etc. (Webcraft Resident Evil 3
Walkthrough). Stinger 3:16, Deuce ex Defcon and ChaosDemon all had similar
statements, though none were as explicit as Webcrafts. Player-writers want to
maintain control of their work, and, in so doing, give more control over gameplay to
themselves and player-readers, as well as diminish the game designers control.

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TEXTUAL & GRAPHICAL FORM
The structure, which is primarily denoted by headings and ASCII graphics, is a fixed
element that I found in my sample. Each walkthrough was structured so that each
section of the walkthrough was set apart with two horizontal lines that had the section
title in between the lines. For example, in the walkthrough for Resident Evil 1, a set of
two dashed lines with text in between them denoted the start of the walkthrough:

Figure 1: Section Title in RE1 Walkthrough

In the Resident Evil 5 walkthrough, delineations between sections are even more
distinct:

Figure 2: Section Title in RE5 Walkthrough

These two examples show not only how player-writers distinguish between sections
in their walkthroughs, the examples also show the evolution of walkthroughs as they
advanced.
Five textual and graphical elements evolved as the walkthroughs became more
complex over time: ASCII graphics, tables of contents, lists of enemies, items, and
weapons. These five elements first appeared in the Resident Evil 2 walkthrough,
which was initially published on October 21, 1999, and was revised on December 28,

18
2000 (Stinger 3:16 Resident Evil 2 Walkthrough). Additionally, all five of these
elements appear in four out of the five walkthroughs in my sample; the Resident Evil
1 walkthrough was the only walkthrough lacking these elements.
The ASCII graphics typically appear at the beginning of the walkthrough, and
they constitute the title of the game/walkthrough. The Resident Evil 2 walkthrough
was the first walkthrough to make use of the ASCII graphics, but the graphic was
fairly simple.

Figure 3: RE2 ASCII Graphic

As the walkthrough evolved, so did the ASCII graphics. They evolved into more
complex graphics and appeared more frequently in the walkthroughs. In the Resident
Evil 5 walkthrough, ChaosDemon included an ASCII graphic (Figure 4) that
illustrated the various attacks the characters could perform on enemies.

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Figure 4: RE5 ASCII Graphic

Rather than simply writing what the characters could do, which may have been
unclear or confusing to player-readers, ChaosDemon included this graphic to help
clarify what could be done to enemies.
The Resident Evil 2 walkthrough was also the first walkthrough to include a
table of contents, and it appeared in subsequent walkthroughs. The walkthroughs for
Resident Evil 2, 4, and 5 all had extremely detailed tables of contents that were
divided into main sections and subsections. This clear division of sections in the
tables of contents organizes the walkthroughs and allows the player-reader to find
specific information more easily.
I argue that player-writers display headings as ASCII graphics for two
reasons: (1) to allow the player-reader to locate sections more easily, and (2) to allow
the player-writers to demonstrate their technological skill. Very likely, the
walkthroughs I analyzed are all text-based because GameFAQS could not support
more advanced technology. Additionally, player-writers may have included ASCII
graphics in order to enhance their status in the gaming community (further discussion
below). The Resident Evil 1 walkthrough (Figure 1) was released in 1996 when
walkthroughs were new and advanced graphics technology was not readily available.
By contrast, The Resident Evil 5 walkthrough (Figure 2), published in 2009, is much
more detailed and ornate. By then, player-writers could easily incorporate advanced
graphics, thus making the walkthroughs more accessible for player-readers.
EVOLUTION

20
Accessibility is an important concept for any website, because it improves the
usability and, therefore, the users experience. When player-writers clearly distinguish
between the different sections of the walkthrough, they are improving the relationship
between player-writers and player-readers in the gaming community by showing that
they understand the needs of the player-readers and are able to satisfy those needs.
Additionally, the easy access to information player-readers want empowers them to
successfully complete a section within the game. Being able to understand and meet
the needs of player-readers helps improve the player-writers ethos within the gaming
community, which makes them a more respected and credible source. Thus, the clear
division of sections in the tables of contents gives player-writers credibility and gives
player-readers a way to advance past a difficult section. This interplay of the playerwriters credibility and the player-readers ability to complete a section helps foster
and improve relations between player-writers and -readers in the gaming community.
As walkthroughs become more complex, they also become more formalized, and this
arguably helps improve relations between player-writers and readers.
Another element that evolved in the walkthroughs is the lists. These lists first
appeared in the Resident Evil 2 walkthrough and appeared in subsequent
walkthroughs. The walkthroughs contained lists for items, enemies, weapons,
equipment, treasures, the merchant, and BSAA emblems (not all of the walkthroughs
contained lists for all aforementioned items). The lists provide a brief description of
each item and, in some cases, tell the player-reader where or how to obtain that item.
The location of these lists within the walkthroughs is not stable, however. For
instance, in the Resident Evil 2 and 5 walkthroughs, the lists appeared after the actual

21
walkthrough, while in the Resident Evil 3 and 4 walkthroughs, the lists appeared
before the walkthrough. Since the walkthrough is an evolving genre, features of a
new or revised genre are being decided in these texts.
Although some of these elements in my sample did not appear until the
Resident Evil 2 walkthrough in 2000, and some do not have stable locations within
the walkthroughs, the fact that these elements are included more often than not
denotes their status as walkthrough elements. Walkthroughs have become more
formalized as they evolved and have acquired genre status because of this
formalization.
AUDIENCE
Based on the content and writing styles of walkthroughs, I inferred that they are
written for two audience types: the novice and the experienced player-reader. In the
Resident Evil 3 walkthrough, the player-writer distinguished between novices and
experienced players by saying, As if any hardcore Resident Evil fan doesnt know
the characters. Im putting this in for those of you [who] are new to the game
(Webcraft Resident Evil 3 Walkthrough). Webcraft is writing for two audiences: those
who are familiar with the Resident Evil franchise and those unfamiliar with the
franchise. Although Webcraft is the only player-writer to make an explicit distinction
between novice and experienced players, the other authors of the walkthroughs make
implicit distinctions through the level of detail, language used, and the simplicity of
the sentences. For experienced players, the Resident Evil 3, 4, and 5 walkthroughs
contain additional walkthroughs for expert-level mini-games; to access these games,
the player-reader must first complete the original game. In each instance, the player-

22
writer clearly provides information that only a more experienced player-reader would
find interesting or necessary. Based on this information, walkthroughs are not
intended for only novice audiences but also guide experienced players through more
difficult material.
Interview Results
I interviewed six participants. Three were male; three were female. The participants
ranged between the ages of 25 to 32. I asked the participants a total of 15 questions
divided into three sections: (1) the first section was about general background
information in relation to the participants video game playing, (2) the second section
was about participants use of online video game walkthroughs, and (3) the third
section was about participants perceptions and assessments of online video game
walkthroughs, the ethos of the player-writers and themselves as gamers. Each
interview lasted for approximately 30 minutes and was conducted either in a private
room or via telephone.
GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The first group of questions sought to answer what console(s) participants use, how
often they play video games, and what genre(s) of video games they play. Three out
of the six participants use the Xbox 360 as their primary console for gaming; two
participants use the Playstation 3 as their primary console; and one participant uses
the PC as his primary console. Other consoles that participants use are the Nintendo
Wii, the Nintendo DS, and the Playstation 2. Additionally, all but one participant use
(or have used) some combination of consoles for their video game playing.
On average, the participants played a minimum of 4.3 hours of video games

23
per week and a maximum of 4.7 hours per week. Here I should note that all but one of
the participants were graduate students; thus, the amount of time they have available
for gameplay is limited. Three of the six participants indicated that they note a
dramatic increase in the hours they spend playing video games during school breaks,
either during winter or summer break.
The most common genres of video games played are role-playing games
(RPGs) and first-person shooters (FPSs). An RPG is a game where the player controls
the avatar in fictional environments that involve quests and gaining powers. An FPS
is a game that focuses on projectile weaponry, and the player experiences the game
through the avatars eyes. Six out of six participants said they play Skyrim, an RPG
released in 2011. Other games include Super Mario Brothers, Mass Effect, Oblivion,
Dragon Age 2, Fallout 2, the LEGO video game series Harry Potter, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Batman, and the Call of Duty series.
WALKTHROUGH USE
The reasons participants access and use walkthroughs can be divided into three
categories: (1) being stuck, (2) checking to make sure they are proceeding correctly,
and (3) finding Easter eggs and collectibles.
Five out of six interviewees said they use walkthroughs when they can no
longer progress in gameplay. For instance, one interviewee said she uses
walkthroughs if she has exhausted every possible route that [she] could think of
through gameplay. The second reason given was that walkthroughs serve as a way
for participants to check their actions during gameplay. That is, one participant will
go to a walkthrough if the game glitchesor aquest isnt working, or he did

24
something incorrectly. However, this was not a common response among participants:
only this participant said he uses walkthroughs in this manner. The final reason given
for using walkthroughs was to find Easter eggs within games or to find all the
collectibles a game might have. An Easter egg is a hidden feature or treasure in a
game, whereas collectibles are items hidden throughout a game that, when the player
has collected the requisite amount, will allow access to an unlockable feature in the
game. Only one participant uses walkthroughs for this reason.
However, based on the reasons given, it would appear that walkthroughs serve
more purposes than just guiding player-readers through a game. Walkthroughs also
act as roadmaps through the game for certain player-readers, and they also allow
player-readers to unlock surprises by finding Easter eggs and winning trophies for
finding collectibles.
The point in gameplay when participants access walkthroughs coincides with
the reasons participants use walkthroughs. For instance, six out of six participants
said they wait until they unable to progress before they will access a walkthrough. In
fact, one participant said she make[s] it a personal challenge to never use a
walkthrough. Six out of six interviewees said that they only access walkthroughs
when they need assistance progressing beyond a certain point. One participant said
she only pull[s] them up when [she] needs them, but leaves the window open. One
interviewee, who uses a PC as his primary gaming console, said he will go to the
walkthrough to get a sense of what he should do differently, but then he closes the
walkthrough window instead of keeping it open and available.
The area that had the widest variance in responses was how frequently

25
participants access walkthroughs. Answers ranged from rarely to sometimes. One
participant said his use depended on how stuck he was. Two participants said they
access walkthroughs once or twice during a gaming session. Two other participants
said they access walkthroughs once or twice during an entire game. Lastly, one
participant sometimes uses walkthroughs, meaning that its not something that
[she] will go to immediately, and its not something that [she] will avoid like the
plague, but [she uses] it as a tool.
The ways the participants in my study access walkthroughs are strikingly
similar. Five out of six participants use some search engine (the most common being
Google) to find the walkthrough they are looking for, then access the specific
walkthrough on GameFAQS, YouTube, or a message board. The other two
participants go straight to GameFAQS to find the walkthrough they are looking for.
One participant said that it sometimes requires some finagling of either going to the
[Xbox] 360 section first or going to the game first and then going to the [Xbox] 360
section, [and] opening it up. The other participant said that he went to GameFAQS
first because there was a specific piece of equipment he wanted; in order to get it, he
had to complete a mission in a very specific manner. This participant did not even
attempt the mission on his own; he went straight to the walkthrough and did the
mission as the walkthrough said, step for step.
WALKTHROUGH PERCEPTIONS & ASSESSMENTS
Walkthroughs are comprised of myriad characteristics, and, as was noted in my genre
analysis, not all of the walkthroughs have the characteristics in the same place, nor do
all the walkthroughs even contain the same characteristics. When I asked the

26
participants what characteristics of walkthroughs help them find the information they
are looking for, two distinct categories appeared: searchability and clarity.
Searchability includes tables of contents that contain individual, searchable
numbers for each section. Two out of six participants said this was important; the
numbered tables of contents allow the participants to use the control F search
function to find a specific section within a walkthrough. On a similar note, one
participant said that content pages with links to all the different parts of the game are
an important characteristic. Additionally, one participant said that titles for sections
help her find what she is looking for, because titles are further reinforcement that
[shes] looking at the right thing. These demands are not unusual; as noted by
Lannon, Farkas, and Consalvo, these demands are made of all instructions.
Clarity in the walkthroughs was also important. Three of the six participants
said that clear, detailed writing is important. One participant said that detail and
straightforward description[s] are important because they help her avoid being lost
in gameplay. Another said that clear writing is important because she will see it
happen if [the author has] written the instructions clearly. Additionally, three out of
six participants said screenshots and videos were important (though none of the
walkthroughs in my sample had these), because they indicate to the player-reader that
they are in the right spot in the game. One participant said that the organization of the
walkthrough was important. He prefers walkthroughs that are arranged in such a
way that the overall walkthrough for the game is in one section and other types of
information are chunked in their own sections.
As noted by Consalvo, there is a debate as to whether using walkthroughs is

27
cheating. In my interview sample, five out of six participants did not think so. The
reasons for this rationale can be divided into three categories: (1) participants being
unable to progress in a game, (2) finding collectible items, and (3) enjoying the game.
Five out of six participants said that using walkthroughs to progress in a game is an
acceptable use of walkthroughs. One of the participants said that using walkthroughs
is not cheating if the game involved tedious stuff that youre supposed to go around
and find like collectibles. Last, one participant said that he sees walkthroughs
primarily as tools; he said the point of the game is some sort of enjoyment for [him]
and doesnt feel guilty about using walkthroughs. Only one participant said that she
felt using walkthroughs for any reason was cheating. At that point, game playing is no
longer a matter of her ability to figure a game out. It becomes a matter of whether or
not she is resourceful enough to find some other guy whos done it already and will
tell [her] exactly how to do it [herself] so that [she] can beat the game.
Another concept related to cheating is that walkthroughs subvert the game
designers intentions. Subverting designers intentions is the idea that, by using
walkthroughs, player-readers are undermining the intentions of game designers.
However, as will become clear below, all participants agreed that using walkthroughs
does not subvert game designers intentions. Each participant, though, had at least one
caveat that he or she said might be considered subversion. The first participant said
that using a walkthrough for a game like Mass Effect to help make critical decisions is
a subversion of the game designers intent, because they want you to make a choice
and stick with it. One participant, though he did not think walkthroughs purposely
subvert game designers intentions, did think that they might violate the intention of

28
the creator in that the walkthroughs might go against how the game should be
played according to the developer. Admittedly, going against the intentions of the
game designers could be considered subversive, even if it is unintentional. Two
participants said that using a walkthrough does not subvert the game designers
intentions, especially if the game is poorly designed. One participant said that the
creators the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean actually encouraged player-readers to use
a walkthrough because [the game] was so glitchy. Another participant agreed,
saying that for bad games, if theres something about them that is sort of playable or
interesting, then you need help getting through them because theyre poorly
designed. Two other participants did not think using walkthroughs subverted the
intentions of the game designers; instead, they viewed the walkthroughs as a sort of
homage or compliment to the game designers because the authors actually took the
time to play the game and write the walkthroughs. Last, one participant said that the
walkthroughs do not subvert game designers intentions because in order to write the
walkthrough, someone had to play the game, which [he thinks] is the original intent
of the game designers. Although all of the participants agreed that walkthroughs do
not subvert game designers intentions and four participants said walkthroughs are
necessary or compliments, some participants noted certain instances where using a
walkthrough may subvert the game designers intentions.
Walkthroughs supply useful information to player-readers that can provide
new ways and insights to play a game. In fact, five out of six participants said that
walkthroughs provide them with a new way to look at a game and that they apply the
information from walkthroughs to later sections of the game. More specifically, two

29
participants said that they view walkthroughs as teaching tools. Two participants
said that the information in a walkthrough allows them to repeat the strategy they
learned and apply it to other situations later in gameplay. Only one participant said
that walkthroughs do not provide him with a new way to look at a game, and that is
because of the way he plays and uses walkthroughs. This participant uses
walkthroughs in the momentso [he does not] tend to have bits of the walkthrough
that are applicable for later sections of the game. So, in a way, using walkthroughs
helps players become better players and, arguably, helps them gain status in the
gaming community because of their improved skill.
Even though all the participants had specific views about walkthroughs, the
perceptions of authors of walkthroughs were an entirely different matter. In fact, five
out of six participants had either not given any thought to the authors of
walkthroughs, or only thought about them if the walkthroughs were poorly written.
One participant said he did not identify the author as a person, but rather he uses
the document, the way [he uses] a user manual for a product. Another participant
said that she never look[s] at who authors them; instead, walkthroughs are
naturally occurring pieces of information that appear when she needs them. Two
participants said that their opinion of the author depends on the tone that authors takes
in the walkthrough. One participant gets annoyed if the player-writer tries to be
entertaining; another gets angry if the player-writer is condescending. However, one
participant said she actively sought out authors she liked. This participant thinks that
writing walkthroughs makes authors more credible sources. In fact, this participant
said that if she find[s] a particular author that [she likes] who writes about a certain

30
genre of video games[she will] usually search that person out. These assessments
indicate that the player-writers ethos is affected, either positively or negatively,
depending on how the player-readers perceive the walkthrough itself.
Participants had mixed views as to whether writing walkthroughs changes the
player-writers status. One participant said he thought that it was likely that some
authors gained credibility from writing walkthroughs, but hedged his response, saying
he didnt think he was the best judge of that, because [he doesnt] have any currency
in the gaming community. Two participants thought that authors of good
walkthroughs would be remembered; their handles [gamer tags] will become known
in the community, and the authors will be viewed as experts in the community
because of a successfully written walkthrough. The participants both agreed that
authors of bad walkthroughs would be blacklisted by the gaming community or that if
an author writes bad walkthroughs, then that author would be considered a bad video
game player. One participant, who had not given any thought to the authors of
walkthroughs, said he did notice language that praises [the authors] on the message
boards he uses. This participant also noted that he feels a sense of gratitude toward
the player-writer if the player-writer has helped the participant solve a problem. One
participant had divided views about the authors of walkthroughs: he said that writing
walkthroughs connotes a certain status to him [the author] as a gamerbecause it
takes a certain level of gamers to be that committed to playing the game. This
participant also said that the anonymity on the internet made it difficult to associate
any particular author with a piece of writing because the author can completely
disassociate himself as a gamer from the walkthrough. Overall, though, the

31
responses indicate that the status a player-writer gains or loses depends entirely on the
quality of the walkthrough. From this, I inferred that writing walkthroughs does affect
a player-writers status; however, the primary effect seems to be negative, in that
player-readers only consider player-writers if the walkthrough is unclear or
condescending.
The participants had clear, if divided, views on the authors of walkthroughs,
saying that their status was derived from the quality (or lack thereof) of the
walkthrough they wrote. However, when asked how using walkthroughs affected their
own status as gamers, the participants responses fell into two categories: using
walkthroughs either affected their status negatively, or had no effect at all. Two
participants felt that using walkthroughs made them less accomplished gamers, and
more like amateurs. A third participant said he felt that walkthroughs were a taboo or
secretive text [that are] kind of accessed in the moment and then put away and then
kind of not talked about. From this, I inferred that this participant thought that using
walkthroughs affected his status as a gamer negatively. Even though these three
participants feel that using walkthroughs negatively affects their status as gamers, the
other three participants were largely ambivalent.
One participant thought that using walkthroughs did affect her status as a
gamer, but she also said it depends on how the walkthroughs are used. For instance, if
a walkthrough is used so that a player can beat a game, then she thinks that person
isnt really a gamer. However, if a player uses a walkthrough to enhance his or her
gaming experience, then she thinks that person is a gamer. One participant made a
clear qualification in his response, saying that using walkthroughs marks him as

32
someone who doesnt play games often because [he does] rely on outside sources.
However, he did not say if it affected his status as a gamer in any way. The final
participant said she was not interested in her status as a gamer, saying that she had a
gamer tag, but she never logged any of her statistics online. For her, shes more
interested in the competition that happens within the narrative of the game.
SUMMARY
Overall, the participants see walkthroughs as helpful tools; however, their assessment
of walkthroughs, either positive or negative, depends entirely on how walkthroughs
are used and how they are written. For instance, if a walkthrough is used to enhance
or supplement gameplay, then participants tended to view walkthroughs positively.
On the other hand, if walkthroughs are used to just so the participant could say he or
she completed a game or participants disliked the tone or skill of the player-writer,
then participants tended to view walkthroughs negatively. Because using
walkthroughs has become so common, using them for a specific purpose like
completing a task or finding collectibles is not seen as cheating by all but one
participant. Even though participants had not consciously thought of the authors of
walkthroughs before, most agreed that writing walkthroughs did affect the authors
status, but that effect (whether it was positive or negative) depended on the quality of
the walkthrough. Typically, participants only thought about authors if they wrote a
bad (unclear or unhelpful) walkthrough, which in turn negatively affected the authors
ethos. Finally, while half of the participants were unconcerned about their status as
gamers, the other half thought that using walkthroughs did affect their status as
gamers, but again, that effect depended on how the walkthroughs were used. Based

33
on this information, I argue that walkthroughs are, for the most part, viewed
positively by users, because they provide valuable information to player-readers in an
easily accessible manner, but player-readers view themselves negatively for using
walkthroughs.
Conclusion and Implications
Even though video game walkthroughs are an emerging genre, they do adhere to and
follow several generic conventions of instructional discourse. For instance, online
walkthroughs contain several formal features: titles, introductory statements,
subheadings, necessary content, proper technicality, imperative mood, and visuals.
Walkthroughs also adhere to two other generic conventions: (1) providing step-bystep instructions through a game, and (2) improving relations between player-writers
and -readers. Since the purpose of walkthroughs is to guide player-readers through a
game, player-writers must write in a clear, concise manner in order for the
instructions to be understood. If a player-writer successfully delivers the desired
information to player-readers, then he improves both the relations between playerreaders and player-writers, and his own credibility within the gaming community.
Because of improved relations, the player-readers will feel a sense of gratitude toward
the player-writer, whose credibility and authority will then be increased.
Based on their content walkthroughs function as pieces of instructional text
because the general purpose is to instruct readers through a game. The genre analysis
I completed of five online walkthroughs helped to further define the specific purpose
walkthroughs serve, and how they serve that purpose.
The primary purpose any walkthrough serves is to guide a player-reader

34
through a game, but I discovered they also serve five additional purposes: (1) help
player-readers find Easter eggs and collectibles, (2) tell the player-reader if they have
taken the proper action, (3) guide the player-reader through additional games, (4) give
the player-reader new methods to play the game, and (5) enhance gameplay
experience.
The walkthroughs in my sample serve these purposes because they are clearly
written (though the clarity of the writing evolved as the genre itself evolved); provide
titles; contain tables of contents, headings, subheadings, and ASCII graphics (but no
screenshots or videos); and include guides for extra games the player-reader could
unlock after completing the original game, like other instructional and documentation
texts. Participants in my interview, however, had mixed feelings about using
walkthroughs, despite their unique status as free online instructional texts.
Although participants do use walkthroughs, many participants try to avoid
using them because it makes them feel like they are cheating or like less of a gamer.
Each participant stressed that they only turn to walkthroughs for guidance if they can
no longer progress. One participant said she avoids using walkthroughs, because she
has a tendency to use a walkthrough as a crutch after she has accessed one. Another
participant said she thought that if a person used a walkthrough just to add another
notch to the TV stand, (i.e., to complete a game), then that person was not a gamer;
however, she does see them as helpful tools if used to progress in gameplay. One
participant said she will only use walkthroughs once or twice per game because
playing a video game is about creating her own experience with (and within) the
game. Based on the aforementioned responses, participants are clearly reluctant to use

35
walkthroughs. I inferred that some participants felt that using walkthroughs was
cheating and that they thought using walkthroughs affected their status as a gamer
negatively because they had to access these texts. Despite this reluctance on the
participants part to use walkthroughs, they view walkthroughs as tools and still
access walkthroughs for guidance when needed.
Based on the purpose and the use of walkthroughs, I argue that the exigence
that creates walkthroughs is twofold: one part is the player-readers need for clear,
concise instructions through a game the other part is the player-writers need to attain
status and credit within the gaming community. As noted earlier by the player-writer
of the Resident Evil 1 walkthrough, this walkthrough was published because several
people had asked for help. Player-readers wanted help through a difficult game, and
Stephenson obliged, even going so far as to say he hoped his walkthrough helped
player-readers. In fact, based on my genre analysis, all of the player-writers wanted to
help the player-readers, but they also wanted acknowledgement for how difficult the
writing process was. In five out of five walkthroughs, there was some sort of
introductory statement or terms of use section where the player-writer detailed how
the walkthrough could and could not be used; the most frequent request was that the
player-writer be given credit if any section of his or her walkthrough was re-used in
any way. Thus, based on the introductory paragraphs and terms of use sections the
exigence that creates walkthroughs is the desire for clear guidance through a game by
the player-readers and the desire for recognition and status in the gaming community
by player-writers. By writing and publishing walkthroughs, player-writers fulfill the
desire of player-readers, and by accessing and using walkthroughs, player-readers

36
give player-writers status and recognition.
This study is important because it solidifies a previously undefined genre of
instructional text: that of online walkthroughs. These are pieces of instructional text
that can be accessed online for free by player-readers to obtain guidance through a
game. Walkthroughs are pieces of instructional text because their primary purpose is
to provide instruction for player-readers. All the walkthroughs in my sample contain
the formal features laid out by Lannon and Farkas. Additionally, since walkthroughs
have a name within the gaming community, they are functioning as a genre, as Miller
claimed. It is easy to see how walkthroughs function as pieces of instructional text,
but perhaps the most interesting aspect about walkthroughs is that non-professionals
write walkthroughs. The implications of this study are twofold: Walkthroughs are
expanding the boundaries of technical writing, allowing non-professionals to write
instructional texts. More important, perhaps, is that walkthroughs are expanding the
boundaries of what is considered professional writing and instructional text. Because
of these implications, it is possible that, although currently amateur, writing
walkthroughs could be a path to professional writing.

37

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Oct. 2011.

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APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

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Interview Questions
General Background Information:

What console(s) do you use?

How often do you play video games?

What genre(s) of video game do you play?

Use of Instructional Texts:

Why do you access walkthroughs?

At what point during game play do you access walkthroughs? How do you
access them?

How often do you use walkthroughs?

Describe a time you used a walkthrough.

When you use a walkthrough, what information do you use it for? For
example help with solving a puzzle/finding an item/weapon, directions on
where to go, etc.

After youve gotten the information, how do you use it (i.e. for one point in
the game or for the entirety of the game)?

Perceptions/Assessments of Instructional Texts:

What characteristics of a walkthrough help you find what youre looking for?

Why do you use a walkthrough and not a strategy guide or instruction

manual?

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How do you feel when you use a walkthrough? Do you think its cheating or
merely a helpful tool?

Do you think that using walkthroughs diminishes the original intent of the
video game?

Does using the information in walkthroughs give you a new way to play/look
at the game?

How do you feel about/toward the author of the walkthrough? Does writing a
walkthrough change the status of the author in the gaming community?

Do you think using a walkthrough changes your status as a gamer (i.e. are
walkthroughs only for novices, or are they secret texts for expert players?

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