God of War: Masculinity and Fatherhood Through Procedural Rhetoric

Video games and academia have a long history with one another. Academic researchers have continued to debate the extent to which video games can materialize real world effects. In this thesis, I employ procedural rhetoric and feminist scholarship to analyze the rhetorical power of God of War. I focus on the game’s immersive procedures and the performances of masculinity from Kratos, Atreus, and Baldur. These three characters all perform different masculinities, and their interactions with one another inform the game’s portrayal of masculinity and fatherhood. By engaging in violence and depicting nuanced performances of masculinity, God of War positions the player to recognize harmful hegemonic masculine norms and their effects on men and their relationships. This is rhetorically significant, as God of War’s interrogation of hegemonic masculinity encourages players to interrogate hegemonic masculine norms in the material world

Narrative agency in video games:a case study on how NieR: Automata embraces its medium

Abstract. In this thesis I analyze video games as a narrative medium by focusing on the 2017 video game NieR: Automata by director Yoko Taro and development team PlatinumGames. The main argument of the thesis is that for video games should utilize narrative elements that are unique to video games, such as player interaction. Since video game studies is a relatively new field, it does not have an established theoretical framework similar to traditional media such as literature. Therefore, I present and critique historically relevant approaches related to game narratives like narratology and ludology. Ultimately, I will use neither approach since narratology ignores what differentiates video games from traditional media whereas the ludologists’ viewpoint of games not being stories fundamentally goes against the premise of my argument. I will conduct the majority of the analysis by discussing the main story of NieR: Automata from the beginning to the end while highlighting and elaborating on events that provide narrative agency, which I define as moments of gameplay with narrative significance. In addition, I will analyze these events from the perspective of genre to highlight how the video game elements enhance the rhetoric of the story. Throughout the thirty-hour story of NieR: Automata, the player experiences narrative agency by numerous methods. I will argue that the repetition of in-game events without noticeable differences besides character change provides meaningful insight into how the characters are treated without specifically stating it. In addition, while NieR: Automata has few instances of traditional agency, which is characterized as providing the player with the freedom to do meaningful actions, the player can achieve similar feelings of meaningful interaction while telling a scripted narrative with little player influence. Finally, the final ending of NieR: Automata utilizes the game medium in a unique way as the player may sacrifice all their save data to assist other players complete the game. Other media are incapable of implementing similar narrative tools and highlights the influence of narrative agency as the player is willing to forfeit their invested time and saved progress for a narrative statement.Tiivistelmä. Tässä tutkielmassa analysoin videopelejä narratiivisena mediana käsittelemällä vuonna 2017 julkaistua videopeliä NieR: Automata, jonka on ohjannut Yoko Taro ja kehittänyt pelistudio PlatinumGames. Keskeinen argumenttini on, että videopelien pitäisi hyödyntää niille ominaisia narratiivisia elementtejä, kuten pelaajan kanssa tapahtuvaa vuorovaikutusta. Videopelitutkimuksen ollessa suhteellisen uusi tutkimusala, sille ei ole luotuna samanlaista teoreettista taustaa kuin perinteisen median, kuten kirjallisuuden, tutkimukselle. Tämän vuoksi tuon esiin sekä kritisoin historiallisesti merkittäviä lähestymistapoja pelien narratiivien tutkimuksessa, joita ovat esimerkiksi narratologia ja ludologia. En kuitenkaan käytä kumpaakaan lähestymistapaa analyysissani, sillä narratologia jättää huomiotta sen, mikä erottaa videopelit mediana perinteisistä medioista. Ludologian näkökulman mukaan pelit puolestaan eivät ole tarinoita, mikä on perustavanlaatuisesti vastakkainen näkökulma suhteessa tässä tutkielmassa esittämääni argumenttiin. Toteutan suuren osan analyysista keskittymällä NieR:Automatan päätarinaan korostaen ja tarkentaen tapahtumia, jotka tuottavat narratiivista toimijuutta, jonka määrittelen pelissä pelattuna toimintana, jolla on oleellinen merkitys narratiivin kannalta. Analysoin näitä tapahtumia lisäksi genren näkökulmasta korostaakseni sitä, miten videopelien ominaiset elementit tehostavat tarinan retoriikkaa. NieR: Automatan kolmekymmentätuntisen tarinan aikana pelaaja kokee narratiivista toimijuutta monien menetelmien myötä. Väitän, että pelissä toistuvat osuudet, joiden ainoa huomattava ero on pelattavan hahmon vaihtuminen, tarjoavat merkittävän näkökulman hahmojen kuvaamiseen ilman suoraa kuvailua. Vaikka NieR: Automatassa on vain harvoja perinteistä toimijuutta vaativia tilanteita, joille on tyypillistä tarjota pelaajalle vapaus valita narratiivin kannalta merkityksellinen toiminta, pelaaja voi saavuttaa tunteen merkityksellisestä vuorovaikutuksesta samalla kun peli kertoo käsikirjoitetun tarinan, johon pelaajalla on todellisuudessa vähän vaikutusta. Vielä lopuksi, NieR: Automatan lopetus hyödyntää pelimediaa uniikilla tavalla, sillä pelaaja voi uhrata kaiken tallennetun datansa auttaakseen muita pelaajia läpäisemään pelin. Muut mediat eivät ole kykeneviä käyttämään samanlaisia narratiivisia työkaluja, minkä lisäksi lopetus korostaa narratiivisen toimijuuden vaikutusta, jos pelaaja on halukas luopumaan pelaamiseen käyttämästään ajasta ja tallennetusta etenemisestä luodakseen syvemmän merkityksen tarinalle, vaikka se ei hyödytä häntä pelaajana

Sugu mängudes – metodoloogia ja analüüs

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneIsegi tänapäeval peetakse mängimist sageli laste ja noormeeste nišitegevuseks. Samas on videomängudest saanud üks kasumlikemaid meelelahutusvorme: 2019. aastal mängis videomänge üle 2,5 miljardi inimese üle maailma. Kuigi videomänge käsitatakse peamiselt meeste hobina, on mängimine tegelikult pea sama atraktiivne nii mees- kui naismängurite jaoks. Kuna enamik inimesi on praeguseks osa mängukultuurist, isegi kui nad ei liigita end mängijateks, tõmbavad mängud üha rohkem teadlaste tähelepanu. Vaatamata suurenevale uurimistöö mahule on videomängude mängimine endiselt sageli häbimärgistatud. Mängukultuuri kritiseeritakse sageli sellele omistatud soolise kallutatuse, rassismi ja homofoobia pärast. Ka mänge endid ja nende kaudu edastatavaid soolisi suhteid peetakse sageli liialt pealispinnaliseks. Videomängud ei ole aga poliitiliselt neutraalsed artefaktid. Nad esitavad kultuurilisi väärtusi, norme ja tavasid, kuid ka panustavad nendesse. Teadlastel puuduvad aga endiselt metodoloogilised vahendid videomängude kui eraldiseisva meediumi analüüsimiseks ning viisid süstematiseerida, kuidas mängudes sugu esindatakse. Doktoritöö eesmärk ongi luua süsteemne metodoloogia soo uurimiseks mängudes, mis arvestaks videomängude kui mitmemõõtmelise meediumi eripärasid, kuid samas laenaks sisendit teiste meediumite uurimiseks loodud meetoditest. Selleks kombineerin humanitaarteaduste meetodeid (nt lähilugemine), sotsiaalteaduste, draamauuringute, soouuringute ning isegi majanduse ja õigusteaduse meetoditega. Viimased on aga kohandatud mängude tehniliste iseärasustega (reeglid, eesmärgid ja mehaanika). Selline mängude terviklik lugemine püüab ületada paljude varasemate mänguanalüüsi lähenemisviiside määramatust ja subjektiivsust. Doktoritöös võtan kasutusele termini „eelistatud mängimine“, mis on tugevalt mõjutatud Stuart Halli eelistatud lugemise ideest. Eelistatud mängimine tugineb vaikevalikutele ja muudele objektiivselt tuvastatavatele tunnustele, et tuvastada kõige tõenäolisem läbimängimisest tulenev tekst, mida saab sooliselt analüüsida. Kuigi kõnealune raamistik on mõeldud akadeemiliseks kasutamiseks, püüab see siiski mõjutada ka avalikku diskursust, pakkudes kolmemõõtmelist ülevaadet videomängudes esindatud soostEven today, gaming is often seen as a niche activity of children and young men. Video games, however, have become one of the most profitable entertainment media, with over 2.5 billion people worldwide playing video games in 2019. While deemed a predominantly male hobby, gaming is nearly equally attractive to female and male gamers. Most people are, by now, part of gaming culture, even if they would not classify themselves as gamers. This means that games are also attracting increasing scholarly attention. Despite the increasing research, video games still suffer from the stigma of being deemed “subcultural” and ultimately “not art”. Gaming culture is often criticized for its gender bias, racism and homophobia. Games themselves and the gender relations they communicate are also often perceived as lacking in depth. Video games, however, are not politically neutral artefacts. They present and contribute to the values, norms, and practices fostered by the culture they belong to. Researchers, however, still lack methodological approaches to analyze video games as a distinct medium and to systemize the ways in which games represent gender. This PhD thesis aims to create a holistic methodology to analyze gender in games that focuses on games as a uniquely multidimensional medium while building on the experience of other disciplines. I will combine humanities methods like close reading with methodologies from the social sciences, drama studies, gender studies and even economics and law. These are adapted to the technicalities and particularities of games, namely the fact that they have to be played and consist of game-specific rules, objectives and mechanics. This holistic reading of games tries to overcome the indeterminacy and subjectivity in many previous approaches to game analysis. I develop the term “preferred playing”, heavily influenced by Stuart Hall’s notion of preferred reading, that relies on default choices and other objectively identifiable features to identify the most likely text resulting from a playthrough, which in turn can then be analyzed in terms of gender. While this framework is intended for academic use, it also strives to influence public discourse by providing three-dimensional insights into gender in video games and betterhttps://www.ester.ee/record=b552405

Story beats in videogames as value-driven choice-based unit operations

We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research.We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research

Fiction and video games:towards a ludonarrative model

Abstract. This thesis presents an evolutionary (rather than revolutionary) step towards a more holistic understanding of narrative meaningfulness in the medium commonly known as video games, based on the intrinsic semiotics of interactivity. The aim of the thesis is to highlight the narrative meaningfulness of not just the written or scripted content of a work, but also the emergent qualities, which may offer the player a serious tool for self-expression and co-authoring the experience. The concepts of coherence and cohesion are also discussed as they pertain to interactive mixed-media experiences. These concepts form the basis for a ludonarrative model that is intended for the examination, analysis and critique of narrative video games. The model is then further explicated by applying it to the examination of the commercially successful The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Tiivistelmä. Tämä tutkielma esittelee pienehkön kehitysaskeleen kohti tarinallisuuden kokonaisvaltaisempaa ymmärtämistä videopeleiksi kutsumassamme mediaformaatissa. Sen pohjana toimii videopeleille luontainen, vuorovaikutuspohjainen semiotiikan teoria. Tutkielman tarkoitus on korostaa pelien tarinallista merkittävyyttä kirjoitettujen ja käsikirjoitettujen sisältöjen lisäksi myös emergenteissä eli pelaamalla syntyvissä kokemuksissa, jotka voivat mahdollistaa laajankin itseilmaisun ja kanssakirjoittamisen muodon pelaajalle. Tutkielmassa käsitellään myös koheesiota ja koherenssia, sikäli kun ne koskettavat mediaa, joka yhdistelee erilaisia ilmaisun muotoja. Nämä konseptit muodostavat pohjan ludonarratiiviselle mallille, jonka tarkoituksena on mahdollistaa tarinallisten videopelien tarkastelu, analysointi ja kritisointi. Lopuksi mallia avataan soveltamalla sitä kaupallisestikin menestyneen The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -videopelin tarkasteluun

The First But Hopefully Not the Last: How The Last Of Us Redefines the Survival Horror Video Game Genre

For this study, I applied generic criticism, which looks at how a text subverts and adheres to patterns and formats in its respective genre, to analyze how The Last of Us redefined the survival horror video game genre through its narrative. Although some tropes are present in the game and are necessary to stay tonally consistent to the genre, I argued that much of the focus of the game is shifted from the typical situational horror of the monsters and violence to the overall narrative, effective dialogue, strategic use of cinematic elements, and character development throughout the course of the game. I also found that the game challenges notions of masculinity and femininity and takes inspiration from Bildungsroman, which are coming-of-age novels. I proposed a new genre called “Zombie Drama” which refers to texts that focus on character development in a zombie world backdrop. Next, I deconstructed the visual and auditory aspects of the game and how they contribute to the overall construction of the narrative. Lastly, I covered the filmic influences of The Last of Us and drew connections between the texts and the game

Realistic Dialogue Engine for Video Games

The concept of believable agent has a long history in Artificial Intelligence. It has applicability in multiple fields, particularly video games. Video games have shown tremendous technological advancement in several areas such as graphics and music; however, techniques used to simulate dialogue are still quite outdated. In this thesis, a method is proposed to allow a human player to interact with non-player characters using natural-language input. By using various techniques of modern Artificial Intelligence such as information retrieval and sentiment analysis, non-player characters have the capability of engaging in dynamic dialogue: they can answer questions, ask questions, remember events, and more. This conversation system is highly customizable, so the types of responses that non-player characters give can be modified to fit within a game’s storyline. Although the system only currently allows for simple dialogue, it illustrates the potential for a more robust way to simulate believable agents in video games