Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds

Thesis: S.M. in Comparative Media Studies and Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2016.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Caldwell, Kyrie Eleison Hartsough
Other Authors: Edward Schiappa.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106745
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author Caldwell, Kyrie Eleison Hartsough
author2 Edward Schiappa.
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Caldwell, Kyrie Eleison Hartsough
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description Thesis: S.M. in Comparative Media Studies and Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2016.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1067452022-08-09T20:10:00Z Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds Caldwell, Kyrie Eleison Hartsough Edward Schiappa. MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies Graduate Program in Science Writing. MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing. Thesis: S.M. in Comparative Media Studies and Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2016. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. "September 2016." Includes bibliographical references (pages 93-105). This thesis considers the ways in which digital game mechanics (interactive inputs) contribute to games' worldbuilding. In particular, this work is concerned with the replication and reinforcement of problematic gender roles through game mechanics that express positive ("warm") interactions between characters, namely healing, protection, and building relationships. The method used has been adapted from structural analysis via literary theory, as informed by game studies, media studies methodologies, and feminist epistemologies. Game mechanics are analyzed both across and within primary texts (consisting of Japanese-developed games from the action and role-playing genres) in relation to characters' representation. Through this analysis, I found that characters who are women and girls are often associated with physical weakness, nature-based magic, and nurturing (or absent) personalities, whereas characters who are men and boys often protect women through physical combat, heal through medical means, and keep an emotional distance from others. Relationships built through game mechanics rely on one-sided agency and potential that renders lovers and friends as characters who exist to support the player character in achieving the primary goals of the game. Through these findings, I conclude that even warm interactions in games carry negative, even potentially violent and oppressive, representations and that there is thusly a need for design interventions on the mechanical level to mitigate violence in game worlds and the reinforcement of negative real world stereotypes. by Kyrie Eleison Hartsough Caldwell. S.M. in Comparative Media Studies and Writing 2017-01-30T19:16:28Z 2017-01-30T19:16:28Z 2016 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106745 969440741 eng MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 153 pages application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Graduate Program in Science Writing.
MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing.
Caldwell, Kyrie Eleison Hartsough
Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title_full Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title_fullStr Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title_full_unstemmed Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title_short Fake the dawn : digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
title_sort fake the dawn digital game mechanics and the construction of gender in fictional worlds
topic Graduate Program in Science Writing.
MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106745
work_keys_str_mv AT caldwellkyrieeleisonhartsough fakethedawndigitalgamemechanicsandtheconstructionofgenderinfictionalworlds