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Ada: a Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology Issue No. 1 Confronting Toxic Gamer Culture: a Challenge for Feminist Game Studies Scholars
Confronting toxic gamer culture: A challenge for feminist game studies scholars Author(s): Mia Consalvo DOI: 10.7264/N33X84KH URL: http://adanewmedia.org/2012/11/issue1-consalvo Published: 15 November 2012 Copyright © 2012. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology ISSN 2325-0496 Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology Issue no. 1 Confronting toxic gamer culture: A challenge for feminist game studies scholars Mia Consalvo Concordia University With increasing frequency the ugliness of gamer culture is being put on display for the wider world to see. While I was writing this piece, for example, a Canadian blogger created a game where one can punch and bruise the face of Anita Sarkeesian, creator of the popular website Feminist Frequency: Conversations with Pop Culture (Spurr, 2012). The game was in response to news of her Kickstarter campaign, where she proposed investigating portrayals of women in videogames over the past few decades. The game was only the latest in a string of attacks on Sarkeesian for her proposed project: she also received death threats, had her Wikipedia page defaced with pornographic imagery, and was repeatedly harassed on the Kickstarter page and elsewhere. About a month prior to that, in June 2012 a controversy erupted about Lara Croft’s alleged past in the latest Tomb Raider game, where sexual assault had helped form her character according to one of the game’s developers (Schreier, 2012). In May, the annual videogame expo E3 became the topic of controversy when multiple sources declared it a space hostile to women and juvenile in its approach to games (Alexander, 2012; Williams, 2012). -
Rewriting the Story: Videogames Within the Post-Gamergate Society
Jones 1 Abigail Jones English 4995 Joanna Hearne Rewriting the Story: Videogames within the Post-Gamergate Society “Begin like this: If photographs are images, and films are moving images, then video games are actions.” - Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, Alexander Galloway Staring through the scope in Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2007), as you navigate through the boggy swamps of some exotic jungle, there is never any doubt that you are in control. The operator’s thumbs roll over the toggles of the controller signaling to the consul how the character on screen must move. By enacting actions within the real world, players affect the actions of the avatar within the game world. To any well-versed videogame player, this is common knowledge; when one plays a videogame it is to be engaged within the world of the game and to ultimately achieve the programmed goal of the game. Up until the creation of the videogame, mediums of entertainment were largely spectator based. While reading a book you may turn the page, but you do not affect the ending of the book. When viewing a movie you may be actively watching, but you are not able to change the ending of the movie. But when playing a videogame the decisions made within the game determine whether the goal is reached, or if it is not: game over. In Alexander Galloway’s essay, “Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture,” he defines videogames as a medium based upon action; “There has emerged in recent years a whole new medium, computers and in particular videogames, whose foundation is not in looking and reading but in the instigation of material change through action.” It is this Jones 2 action that appeals to players--the level of interactivity and agency. -
Toward a Deeper Understanding of Branching Dialogue Systems
TOWARD A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF BRANCHING DIALOGUE SYSTEMS LEANNE C. TAYLOR-GILES BFA (Creative Writing Production) Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters by Research. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FACULTY QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2014 Leanne C. Taylor-Giles -- Understanding Branching Dialogue Systems Keywords Agency; branching dialogue systems; conversation architecture; creative writing; critical path; emergent narrative; emotional interface; immersion; interaction design; interactive narrative; literary criticism; narrative design; player character; practice-led; roleplaying video games; writing for video games. 2 – Creative Industries, QUT Understanding Branching Dialogue Systems – Leanne C. Taylor-Giles Abstract This exegesis addresses the concept of writing for video games, and specifically the branching dialogue systems available within contemporary roleplaying video games. It suggests a taxonomy for the critique of interactive narratives, and seeks to answer the question of whether branching dialogues may be separated from their medium in order to apply more traditional methods of literary criticism. The exegesis covers the critique of four contemporary roleplaying video games that are rated as the ‘best’ from among the offerings of the current video game development industry. It also examines the author’s personal works from both an internal and external standpoint, to further elucidate the aspects of writing for branching dialogues and interactive media that have yet to be discussed from a practitioner’s point of view within an academic context. As a conclusion, the exegesis presents a final project aimed at supporting the reflections and discoveries made throughout, providing a first-hand look at a game writer’s unedited creative process and the methods by which greater interactivity with non-player characters may be achieved. -
Self-Saving Princess: Feminism and Post-Play Narrative Modding - Ada New Media ISSUE NO
2/18/2021 Self-Saving Princess: Feminism and Post-Play Narrative Modding - Ada New Media ISSUE NO. 2 Self-Saving Princess: Feminism and Post-Play Narrative Modding Alex Layne Samantha Blackmon Since Donkey Kong tossed his first barrel in 1981, princesses in video games have served one purpose: to be saved. Successful completion of Donkey Kong (Nintendo 1981) sees Kong defeated and Jumpman and Lady lovingly reunited. Lady had found her hero and Jumpman had won his prize. Women were cast as damsels in distress and have predominantly been trapped in this role. More than three decades later little has changed. Female protagonists in video games are still almost non-existent. When we do encounter the elusive heroine, she is typically either portrayed as a sexual object to be gazed upon and controlled, or she is simply a female “skinned” version of the male protagonist. Cast into these roles, it is hardly surprising that women and games have long had a troubled relationship, ranging from who is creating the games to who is playing them to who is talking about them. This paper explores and investigates the myriad of ways that video game narratives get modded post-play for feminist purposes (intentionally and unintentionally). We will look at modding through cultural critique of the medium as well as through online discussion surrounding game play and game design that happens without the intent of feminist critique or modding. “Modding” as an activity emerges differently in each context, and we explore examples that show the richness and instability of this concept below. -
Dragon Age: Masked Empire Pdf, Epub, Ebook
DRAGON AGE: MASKED EMPIRE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Patrick Weekes | 320 pages | 17 Apr 2014 | Titan Books Ltd | 9780857686480 | English | London, United Kingdom Dragon Age: Masked Empire PDF Book Bibliografische Informationen. Ser Michel de Chevin had never looked back. Abschnitt 3. Narration is third person, switching scene by scene primarily between the three heroes and the villain. At this point in the story, Gaspard and his posse just defeated the Sylvan trees, still attempting to capture Celene. In The Masked Empire, Weekes went so much further. She cares about Orlais, versus Gaspard, who It seems I'm one of the few who loved this one, but so far it's my favorite of the companion novels. You were meeting Lady Mantillon. Back inside, she made her way through the halls. Did Melcendre inform Gaspard of your past? She does nothing. I recall commenting that in The Calling The Calling , author David Gaider wrote the action so well that I could imagine actually controlling the characters on my computer screen with mouse and keyboard. I just feel so disappointed with this character. The heat in the kitchens was stifling, as dishes from all across the known world were prepared. In the end, however, the elves, hidden and starving, may decide the fate of the masked empire themselves. During her rule, she has worked to make Orlais a beacon of education, knowledge, and art. Quotes from The Masked Empire. To save Orlais, Celene must keep her hold on the throne by any means necessary. Open Preview See a Problem? The story pacing was perfect, the intrigues were tightly knitted, but allowed the reader to figure things out on their own too, if they paid attention. -
Dragon-Age-Origins-Manuals
WARNING: PHOTOSENSITIVITY/EPILEPSY/SEIZURES A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures or blackouts when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain patterns or backgrounds on a television screen or when playing video games may trigger epileptic seizures or blackouts in these individuals. These conditions may trigger previously undetected epileptic symptoms or seizures in persons who have no history of prior seizures or epilepsy. If you, or anyone in your family, has an epileptic condition or has had seizures of any kind, consult your physician before playing. IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUE use and consult your physician before resuming gameplay if you or your child experience any of the following health problems or symptoms: dizziness eye or muscle twitches disorientation any involuntary movement altered vision loss of awareness seizures or convulsion. RESUME GAMEPLAY ONLY ON APPROVAL OF YOUR PHYSICIAN. Use anD hanDling OF viDeo gaMes to reDUCE the liKelihooD OF A seizure Use in a well-lit area and keep as far away as possible from the television screen. Avoid large screen televisions. Use the smallest television screen available. Avoid prolonged use of the PlayStation®3 system. Take a 15-minute break during each hour of play. Avoid playing when you are tired or need sleep. Stop using the system immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: lightheadedness, nausea, or a sensation similar to motion sickness; discomfort or pain in the eyes, ears, hands, arms, or any other part of the body. If the condition persists, consult a doctor. NOTICE: Use caution when using the DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller motion sensor function. -
Dragon Age Origins a Look at Character Consistency and Complexity Through Dialogues
Dragon Age Origins A look at character consistency and complexity through dialogues Linus Nilsson Degree project in game design Game design and programming spring 2013 Supervisors: Jakob Rogert-Berglund and Hedda Gunneng Examiner: Special thanks to Madeline and Larry Danice and John Abstract This paper takes a look at two non-player characters in the game Dragon Age Origins and analyzes if their dialogues spoken are contributing to making the characters examined complex and also seeing if the dialogues spoken on a specific topic are being consistent. That the characters are having the same view on the topic does not matter to any other non-player characters to whom they speak. Thirty dialogues are being analyzed. Fifteen of them are delivered by the character Alistair and the other fifteen by the character Leliana. As an analyzing tool, Paul Grice's maxim of quantity and maxim of manner has been used. The conclusion suggests how Paul Grice's maxims could be used as a helping tool when writing dialogue for games. Table of Contents 1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................1 2 Purpose................................................................................................................................4 3 Background.........................................................................................................................5 3.1 Dialogues and their role in storytelling.......................................................................5 -
Jocelyn Beyer
Playing with Consent: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Representations of Race, Rape, and Colonialism in BioWare’s Dragon Age by Jocelyn Beyer A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Digital Humanities - Anthropology Digital Humanities University of Alberta © Jocelyn Beyer, 2019 Abstract In this thesis I analyse BioWare’s Dragon Age series of video games using a modified autoethnographic method and Sara Ahmed’s queer phenomenology to explore how rape and consent are represented within the games. I find that the player embodies three roles throughout the games in relation to sexual assault – victim, justice, and rapist – and I dedicate a chapter to exploring each in detail. I analyse the games using my own experiences to explore how the player is an embodied subject with an orientation. I also explore the idea that video games are a form of virtual tourism, and that some in-game relationships available to the player are similar to sex and romance tourism. ii Acknowledgements Writing a thesis is hard and awful, though that could just be the coffee and sleep deprivation talking, and I could not have done it without the help of a large group of people. Thank you to my supervisor, Kathleen Lowrey, for all of your help and advice from the very beginning of my grad school journey to the very last days of the writing process. I would also like to thank Astrid Ensslin for all of your hard work and dedication getting this thesis written and ready to go. Thank you to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for funding my research. -
Gay Engines: Imagining a Queer Development Platform for Video
Gay Engines: Imagining a Queer Development Platform for Video Games Cass Zegura MCM 1990: Honors Thesis/Project in Modern Culture and Media April 5, 2020 1 Preface The story of this project begins in the fall of 2017, at a crowded tapas bar in downtown Providence. My aunt and uncle, who live in Boston, had come down to visit and take me out to dinner. It was a perfectly ordinary night except in one regard: when I told my aunt and uncle about the classes I was taking that semester, a strange look crossed their faces. I thought the source of their confusion might be the computer science course I had mentioned, an upper-level design class called Independent Study in 2D Game Engines. I assumed that they, like I, had never heard of the term “game engine” before and thus did not know what it was. And as I launched into my explanation (which I won’t repeat here—I’ve already written an entire chapter dedicated to this question), the confusion diminished, but only somewhat, and we soon changed subjects. On a phone call with my mom a few days later, I learned the true source of my aunt and uncle’s befuddlement. In that noisy restaurant, the word “game” had transformed into the word “gay.” They thought that I was taking a class on 2D gay engines. No wonder they were confused! I would’ve been too. What the heck is a gay engine anyway? Of course, I didn’t know then that I was going to spend my senior year trying to answer that question. -
I Give Permission for Public Access to My Honors Paper and for Any
I give permission for public access to my Honors paper and for any copying or digitization to be done at the discretion of the College Archivist and/or the College Librarian. Signed_____________________________________________ Ashton Murphy Date __________________________ Medea and New Media: Analyzing Euripides’ Tragedy through the Medium of Video Games Ashton Lacy Murphy Department of Greek and Roman Studies Rhodes College Memphis, Tennessee Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in Greek and Roman Studies 2016 ii This Honors paper by Ashton Lacy Murphy has been read and approved for Honors in Greek and Roman Studies. Dr. Geoff Bakewell Project Advisor ___________________________________ Dr. Kenneth S. Morrell Second Reader ____________________________________ Dr. David Mason Extra-Departmental Reader ______________________________________ Dr. David H. Sick Department Chair ________________________________________ iii CONTENTS Signature page ii Contents iii Abstract iv 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Videogames and Tragedy 5 1.3 Political Play 7 2.1 Witchy Woman 11 2.2 Medea the Clever Corinthian 15 2.3 Medea the Hero 20 2.4 Medea and the Gods 24 3.1 Dorothy Sayers 26 3.2 Grand Theft Auto V 28 3.3 Saints Row: the Third 38 4. Conclusion: Dragon Age II and Imperfect Binaries 45 Bibliography 50 iv ABSTRACT Medea and New Media: Analyzing Euripides’ Tragedy through the Medium of Video Games by Ashton Lacy Murphy Women play an astonishingly prominent role as characters in ancient Athenian tragedy; we have only one extant tragedy—Philoctetes—which does not feature at least one female character. The number, and perhaps more importantly the depiction, of these characters has given rise to a search for proto-feminism in tragedy, with Euripides as an especially prominent target. -
Dragon-Age-Origins-Manuals PC.Pdf
CLASS . 9 EPILEPSY WARNING WARRIOR . .9 Please read before using this game or allowing your children to use it. MAGE . .9 Some people are susceptible to epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness when exposed to certain flashing ROGUE . .9 lights or light patterns in everyday life. Such people may have a seizure while watching television images or playing certain video games. This may happen even if the person has no medical history of epilepsy or has CLASS BENEFITS . .9 never had any epileptic seizures. If you or anyone in your family has ever had symptoms related to epilepsy BACKGROUND . 10 (seizures or loss of consciousness) when exposed to flashing lights, consult your doctor prior to playing. HUMAN NOBLE . .10 We advise that parents should monitor the use of video games by their children. If you or your child MAGI . .10 experience any of the following symptoms: dizziness, blurred vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of consciousness, disorientation, any involuntary movement or convulsion, while playing a video game, CITY ELF . .10 discontinue use IMMEDIATELY and consult your doctor. DALISH ELF . .10 DWARF COMMONER . .10 PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE DWARF NOBLE . .10 DURING USE BACKGROUND BENEFIT . .10 Do not stand too close to the screen. Sit a good distance away from the screen, as far away as the CUSTOMIZATION . 11 length of the cable allows. APPEARANCE . .11 Preferably play the game on a small screen. PORTRAIT . .11 Avoid playing if you are tired or have not had much sleep. VOICE . .11 Make sure that the room in which you are playing is well lit. -
Pontifícia Universidade Católica De São Paulo Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Tecnologias Da Inteligência E Design Digital
PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DE SÃO PAULO PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM TECNOLOGIAS DA INTELIGÊNCIA E DESIGN DIGITAL – TIDD ÁREA DE CONCENTRAÇÃO: PROCESSOS COGNITIVOS E AMBIENTES DIGITAIS ANNYE CRISTINY TESSARO NARRATIVAS E GAMES: UM OLHAR DO DESIGN LITERÁRIO- ARTÍSTICO São Paulo 2018 ANNYE CRISTINY TESSARO NARRATIVAS E GAMES: UM OLHAR DO DESIGN LITERÁRIO-ARTÍSTICO Tese apresentada à Banca Examinadora da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, como exigência parcial para obtenção do título de Doutora em Tecnologias da Inteligência e Design Digital – área de concentração em “Processos Cognitivos e Ambientes Digitais”, sob orientação do Prof. Dr. Luís Carlos Petry. São Paulo 2018 Annye Cristiny Tessaro NARRATIVAS E GAMES: UM OLHAR DO DESIGN LITERÁRIO-ARTÍSTICO Aprovada em: ____/________/____ BANCA EXAMINADORA ______________________________________________ Orientador ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Ao Lucas Zanini Tessaro, meu bravo sobrinho, que, em sua breve jornada, apenas conheceu a narrativa do mais puro e incondicional amor e à Lilian Zanini Tessaro, uma guerreira admirável, forte, corajosa e sempre sorridente. Esta tese teve o suporte da CAPES/PROSUC – Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/Programa de Suporte à Pós-Graduação de Instituições Comunitárias de Ensino Superior – mediante concessão de bolsa de Doutorado, modalidade I/II, o que permitiu a realização do curso de Doutorado e a conclusão da Tese, que consolida a pesquisa realizada durante o curso. AGRADECIMENTOS Uma jornada pode ser individual e solitária, mas nunca sozinha. Minha jornada começou em julho de 2013 e só foi concluída graças à colaboração de muitas pessoas que cruzaram meu caminho, me apoiando, me incentivando, me motivando em uma troca mútua de conhecimentos.