Description
Book Synopsis When viewed through the context of an interactive play, a video game player fulfills the roles of both actor and spectator, watching and influencing a game''s story in real time. This book presents video gaming as a virtual medium for performance, scrutinizing the ways in which a player''s interaction with the narrative informs personal, historical, social and cultural understanding. Centering the author''s own experiences as both video game player and performance scholar, the book thoroughly applies concepts from theatre and performance studies.
Chapters argue that the posthuman player position now challenges what can be contextualized as a lived experience, and how video games can change players'' relationships with historical events and contemporary concerns, ultimately impacting how they develop a sense of self. Using the author''s own gaming experiences as a framework, the book focuses on the intersection between player and narrative, exploring what engagement wit
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface: "Finish the Fight!"
- Introduction: Empowering the Spectator Through Play
- 1. Video Games and the Building of Legends
- 2. Theatrical Theory and Identity Construction in Video Gaming
- 3. Posthumanism and the Performance of Video Gaming
- 4. Playing with History in Video Games
- 5. Playing at History in Video Games
- 6. Considering Selfhood and Identity in Video Games
- 7. The Performance of Video Gaming in Daily Life
- Conclusion: Building Bridges Through Video Games
- Chapter Notes
- Works Cited
- Index
