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2 SemioticadeiVideogiochi,2004,Unicopli3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_(computer_gaming)4 Intheintroductiontohiseditedvolume“TheSocialnessofThings.Essaysonthe Socio‐Semiotics of Objects”, Stephen Harold Riggins (1994: 1‐6) uses theneologism‘socialness’to“callattentiontotheintegrationofobjectsinthesocialfabric of everyday life.”. He continues: “It is not only with people and animalsthat we interact but also with objects. Objects are a cause, a medium and aconsequence,ofsocialrelationships.Trulytheonlycontextinwhichartifactscanbeobservedisintheirrelationtohumans.Wepracticallyalwaysperceiveotherpeopleinsituationsinwhichtheyinteractwithobjectsandaresurroundedbythem.Evenduringourmostsociallyisolatedexperiencesweareneveraloneinthatsense.”5 “Overallcomputerandvideogameindustryhardware,softwareandperipheralsales climbed to $22 billion in 2008, with entertainment software salescomprising $11.7 billion of that total figure – a 22.9% jump over the previousyear – the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today. Theindustrysetthenewrecord,calculatedbymarket‐researchfirmNPDGroup,onthestrengthofaDecembersalesmonthinwhichindustryrevenue($5.3billion)topped $5 billion for the first time in any single month. By comparison, asrecently as 1997, the industry generated $5.1 billion over the entire year.” PRNewswire(accessedFebruary17th2009):http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01‐28‐2009/0004962345&EDATE=