A semiotic framework for the analysis of virtual architecture in digital games

This paper proposes a semiotic framework for the analysis of architecture in digital games that combines the theory of Umberto Eco of denotation and connotation in architecture with the concept of “anticipatory play” devised by Brian Upton. Virtual architecture is a central signifier in digital games, and its design heavily influences the gameplay as well as the narrative. In 3D games players interact with virtual environments that closely resemble our real architecture, and as such many of the tools we use to analyse real architecture can be successfully applied to virtual architecture as well. Through a series of examples this paper will illustrate how architectural signs in games communicate to players and how they can be used to enhance gameplay, narration, and immersion

Semiotic analysis of the Corinthian order in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence 1420-1490

The purpose of this article is to apply the Threefold Laws of Meaning, developed by Lady Welby, to the Corinthian order of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence so as to analyze the morphological differences and symbols of its architectural order from 1420, when the construction of the new plan for the Basilica commissioned by Giovanni di Averardo dei Medici and designed by Brunelleschi started, to 1490, when it came to its completion under Lorenzo de Medici and the supervision of Giuliano da Sangallo. It will demonstrate how Lady Welby’s threefold laws of meaning can be successfully used to comprehend, through signs, the historical evolution of the Basilica and the transformation of architectural thought in the 15th century

Games as Authorial Platforms? An Exploration of the Legal Status of User-created Content from Digital Games

Digital games can be considered as composed of two main components: the props, i.e. visual, textual, and aural elements such as codes, 3D models and animations; and the form, specially the interaction between players and games, the act of playing itself. This dichotomy thus begs the question whether digital games are indeed games if nobody plays them, and ultimately: who is the owner of the gameplay and any by-product of the interaction between the game and the players? This paper explores the copyright status of content created by users with digital games, such as gameplay videos and images, for example art based on digital game assets, namely virtual photography; as well as customized in-game objects. Many modern digital games offer considerable freedom to players, in terms of how the action on screen evolves and the visual outcomes that the game can produce. Scholars have asserted that digital games avatars, the characters created in games, should be considered a joint work between players and the game developers and some game companies allow the commercial use of videos created from their games. Conversely, other companies expressly prohibit such use, and issue DMCA takedown notices to infringers. Attention will be devoted to specific games as authorial tools, such as SpaceEngine and Townscaper, where there are neither objectives nor challenges, but they are rather tools that enable players’ creativity

From bricks to pixels

In a world dominated by an architecture that often fails to communicate to the public (Ibelings 1998: 88), or fails to communicate the right messages (Curl 2018: xxxi), and most importantly “deliberately avoids emotional engagement with its user” (Coates 2012: 11), digital games provide a rare imaginary space where architecture is communicative, and stirring emotions is one of its main purposes. Digital games are interactive by their own nature, and movement and space are their main characterizing elements. Through virtual spaces it is possible to establish a narration, tell a story and effect aesthetic impressions, other than to solely use them as elements of gameplay. This chapter will thus look at how digital games transmit emotions to players and how virtual architecture is a fundamental component in this process. This chapter will also investigate how the anticipation and expectation of future events can be as emotionally charged as their actual development, and how virtual architecture plays a crucial role in creating this “anticipatory play” (Upton 2015). Digital games are also composed of non-interactive or motionless parts which can be equally enjoyed by players and are equally significant emotionally. In other words, virtual architecture is a fundamental part in setting the tone and décor of a digital game, even without dialogues or characters, as demonstrated in games such as Manifold Garden (William Chyr Studio 2019) or ECHO (ULTRA ULTRA 2017), where the architectural environment alone is able to communicate emotions to players. In this chapter, we shall examine these “static” architectural elements revealing to what extent they are major conveyors of emotions in digital games

The semiosis of architectural identity in The Witcher 3

The representation of space in digital games is symbolic and rule-based rather than uniquely spatial, thus virtual space bears significance, be it for narratological reasons, or for more stringent reasons of gameplay. Virtual architecture might be more apt to be analyzed as a system of signs, as, unlike real architecture, its very existence is for the communication of information to the player, and the communicative aspect is no mere accident or addition to other functions. We will utilize the semiotic frameworks put into place by Umberto Eco as regards architecture as mass communication and Brian Upton’s as concerns digital games, with the concept of “ludic sign”, to “read” the architectural design of Polish game The Witcher 3, as the role of architecture in world-building is of important metaphorical and symbolic value to the game. The Witcher 3 adopts a particular style, which diverges from the standard fantasy settings, and the dichotomy between the main game and its expansion Blood & Wine, set in a faux Italy/Southern France, is a perfect example of how virtual architecture carries a symbolic value and a communicative aspect and is not a mere backdrop for the action

Vitruvian Proportions in the Design of the Architectural Orders of the Basilica of San Lorenzo

The aim of the article is to analyze the proportions of the various parts of the Corinthian order inside the basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence taking Vitruvius' De architectura as a reference , in order to verify whether the treatise could have been a source for the design of the architectural order in the church. This analysis attempts to offer explanations to some of the still unanswered questions regarding the project, in particular the decoration of the Old Sacristy and the cruciform pillars of the transept. The study measures all parts of the architectural order in relation to the classical module and shows how their proportions were part of the lexicon of the architects of the time, and therefore that it is important to "read" them in the right frame of reference

Assassin's Creed (Series)

The Assassin’s Creed (AC) series is one of the most successful video game series (Gaudiosi, 2014). Currently (as of April 2018), the series comprises ten narrative-driven standard game chapters, each covering different chronological eras and locations, with a narrative arc that spans from Ptolemaic Egypt (the most recent entry) through the Holy Land at the time of the third Crusade; Renaissance Italy; the Americas in the Colonial Era; and the French Revolution. Gameplay is centered on openworld exploration, collecting hints and evidence and gathering or delivering information. The narrative centers on two secret societies, the Assassins and the Templars, who have been at war over the total control of humankind. The player engages in a quest to recover ancient “magical” artifacts called “Apples,” which the Templars covet for their plans to take control of the world. When asked how students might use AC as a learning tool, the development team at Ubisoft explained that each game “does contain a Database of historical places, people and events which expands and fills out as the player proceeds through the narrative and explores the world. [Players might] stop after each story sequence and read as much of this Database as they can. It’s well researched and full of information, and apart from a few entries specific to Assassin’s Creed, it’s all historically accurate” (McDonald and McDevitt, 2017)

Semiotics in architecture and spatial design

The semiotics of architecture is intertwined with many other disciplines, such as aesthetics and sociology. This makes it difficult to find a precise stream of semiotics of architecture proper. Still, it is undeniable that semiotics has a very tangible and notable presence in everyone’s environment, since it is difficult to overlook the communicative components of landscape design, urban planning, architectural design and interior design, moreover ‘at the very heart of semiotics, a spatial logic (presence-absence, and an embodiment of this difference) is part of the definition of what it means to convey meaning’ (Sandin 2012: 175). Why, then, has relatively little attention been given to the semiotics of architectural design recently? The first reason is that, arguably, the architecture with which the vast majority of us deal on a daily basis apparently does not ‘communicate […] but functions’ (Eco 1997: 174), which raises the question as to whether representation in architecture is indeed possible, and especially how. Architecture, in fact, unlike figurative painting or sculpture, does not reproduce something that already exists, but necessarily creates something new. As such, it could be regarded as an asignifying and non-representative art, especially considering the mechanical role that it must serve. Despite this, there has always been a semiotic aspect one way or another: from the expression of natural or mathematical rules, to the imitation of historical styles, and expression of abstract rules. Much like Monsieur Jourdain in Molière’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, who did not know he was speaking in prose, ‘architects, unlike practitioners in many other fields, actually think in semiotic […] concepts directly in the process of their creative work’ (Broadbent 1994: 86). The meaning of the built environment is indeed a very present issue, even when not framed in semiotic terms

A missile to the face: scarred characters in Mass Effect 2

This chapter explores the depiction of scarred characters in Mass Effect 2 (BioWare 2010), and examines how it relates to the narrative and the interactivity of the game. Digital games provide a rare imaginary space where a surprising number of characters have or receive scarring, opening potential to impact the image of scarred bodies in society – and by the scarred themselves. This chapter investigates to what extent interactivity enables players to identify with characters in role playing digital games and how this can be beneficial to both their self-image and the public perception of scarred people