Introduction
The American Psychological Association (APA) is a widely recognized style guide used in academia and research. While APA citation is most commonly associated with academic papers, it can also be applied to other types of publications such as video games. However, citing a video game using APA can be challenging due to the unique nature of the medium. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to APA cite a video game, including case studies and real-life examples to illustrate the points being made.
APA Citation Format for Video Games
Before diving into the specifics of citing a video game using APA, it’s important to understand the basic format for citing any type of publication. According to the APA style manual, a citation should include the following elements:
Author’s name: The author’s name should be listed first, followed by their initials if there are multiple authors. If the author is unknown, use “Anonymous” or “Unknown.”
Year of publication: This element should be in parentheses and should include the year the publication was released.
Title of publication: This should be italicized and should include the full title of the video game.
Publisher information: This includes the publisher’s name, location, and year of publication. If the game is self-published, include the author’s name instead of the publisher’s name.
Example of APA citation for a video game:
Smith, J. (2019). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo.
Citing Video Games with Multiple Authors
If a video game has multiple authors, list their names in order of contribution, separated by commas and an ampersand (&) symbol. If there are more than three authors, include the first three author’s names followed by “et al.”
Example of APA citation for a video game with multiple authors:
Johnson, J., Smith, K., & Williams, M. (2018). Fortnite. Epic Games.
Citing Video Games without an Author
If a video game does not have an identified author, the title of the publication should be used as the author’s name. If there are multiple authors, list their names in order of contribution, separated by commas and an ampersand (&) symbol.
Example of APA citation for a video game without an author:
Fortnite. (2018). Epic Games.
Citing Edited Video Games
If a video game has been edited or updated, include the edition number in parentheses after the title of the publication. If there are multiple editions, include the edition number followed by “ed.”
Example of APA citation for an edited video game:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (2019). Nintendo. Edited ed.
Citing Video Games with a Creative Director
If a video game has a creative director, include their name as the author and list any additional contributors in the order they contributed to the publication.
Example of APA citation for a video game with a creative director:
Miller, J. (2017). Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Case Study: Citing a Video Game in a Research Paper
Let’s say you are writing a research paper on the effects of video games on cognitive development. To cite a video game in your paper, you would use the following APA citation format:
Smith, J. (2019). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo.
In this case, you are citing the original release of the game, which was released in 2017. If you were to include a video game in your study and find that it has had a significant impact on cognitive development, you would need to conduct further research to determine if any updates or editions have been made since its release.
FAQs
Q: What if the author’s name of the video game is unknown?
If the author’s name of the video game is unknown, use “Anonymous” or “Unknown.”
Q: What if the publisher’s name of the video game is unknown?
If the publisher’s name of the video game is unknown, use “Self-published.”
Q: How do I cite a video game with multiple authors?
List the author’s names in order of contribution, separated by commas and an ampersand (&) symbol.
Conclusion
Citing a video game using APA can seem daunting at first, but by following the basic format outlined above and understanding how to handle different types of video games, you can create a well-structured and informative citation that will help your audience understand the context and significance of the publication.
