An earthless world: the contemporary Enframing of sport in digital games

This article provides a phenomenological understanding of contemporary sport and its digital game incarnation. The latter is highlighted as, currently, an example par excellence of what Martin Heidegger referred to as Enframing (Ge-Stell): the essence of modern technology that discloses being only in its availability for consumption. This concept is clarified and compared with a phenomenological comprehension of art and play. Building upon these notions, the physical sport and its digital emulation are compared and contrasted, illustrating how key criteria for play and artwork are met or nullified. Finally, we come to a diagnosis of the sport digital game in its current form, suggesting how it may meet these criteria through acknowledgement and appreciation of its technological basis.