Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR
This article rethinks the notion of virtual reality (VR) as an ‘empathy machine’ by examining how VR directs emotional identification not toward the subjects of particular VR titles, but toward VR developers themselves. Tracing how both positive and negative empathy circulates around characters in o...
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| Format: | Article |
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SAGE Publications
2021
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| Accès en ligne: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130238 |
| _version_ | 1826204775445692416 |
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| author | Roquet, Paul |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing Roquet, Paul |
| author_sort | Roquet, Paul |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This article rethinks the notion of virtual reality (VR) as an ‘empathy machine’ by examining how VR directs emotional identification not toward the subjects of particular VR titles, but toward VR developers themselves. Tracing how both positive and negative empathy circulates around characters in one of the most influential VR fictions of the 2010s, the light novel series-turned-anime series Sword Art Online (2009–), as well as the real-life figure of Palmer Luckey, creator of the Oculus Rift headset that launched the most recent VR revival, the author shows how empathetic identification ultimately tends to target the VR game master, the head architect of the VR world. These figures often already inhabit a socially privileged position. A better understanding of how VR channels empathy towards VR creators points to the need to ensure a broader range of people have opportunities to take up the role of VR game master for themselves. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:01:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/130238 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:01:12Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1302382024-06-26T00:17:52Z Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR Roquet, Paul Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing Roquet, Paul This article rethinks the notion of virtual reality (VR) as an ‘empathy machine’ by examining how VR directs emotional identification not toward the subjects of particular VR titles, but toward VR developers themselves. Tracing how both positive and negative empathy circulates around characters in one of the most influential VR fictions of the 2010s, the light novel series-turned-anime series Sword Art Online (2009–), as well as the real-life figure of Palmer Luckey, creator of the Oculus Rift headset that launched the most recent VR revival, the author shows how empathetic identification ultimately tends to target the VR game master, the head architect of the VR world. These figures often already inhabit a socially privileged position. A better understanding of how VR channels empathy towards VR creators points to the need to ensure a broader range of people have opportunities to take up the role of VR game master for themselves. 2021-03-24T19:43:33Z 2021-03-24T19:43:33Z 2020-04 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1470-4129 1741-2994 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130238 Roquet, Paul. "Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR." Journal of Visual Culture 19, 1 (April 2020): 65-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1470412920906260 Journal of Visual Culture Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf SAGE Publications Paul Roquet |
| spellingShingle | Roquet, Paul Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title | Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title_full | Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title_fullStr | Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title_short | Empathy for the game master: how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating VR |
| title_sort | empathy for the game master how virtual reality creates empathy for those seen to be creating vr |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130238 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT roquetpaul empathyforthegamemasterhowvirtualrealitycreatesempathyforthoseseentobecreatingvr |