Beyond the Author: Collaborative Authorship in Video Games
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Date
2018-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Since their popularization in the early 1980s, video games have often been overlooked in the realm of art and critical theory as a pop-culture phenomenon. The medium still struggles to assert itself as a legitimate artform worthy of critical study. This is best embodied by the film critic Roger Ebert's remark that "video games can never be art" - a remark which spurred serious debate both for and against the notion. Though widespread acceptance of the artful potential of video games is still far from reality, a critical theory and study of the medium has begun to spring up in some academic and analytical circles, dubbed 'Game Studies.' Researchers and critical thinkers in this field apply some of the same analytical theories used for literature and film to video games, seeking out the deeper meanings and cultural significance of the works examined and placing them alongside established artworks in other fields. This thesis explores how video games as an artform are challenging traditional notions of authorship. Through the interactivity that is at the core of gameplay, and through technological and developmental innovations as game makers explore the narrative potentials inherent in the medium, the player is taking a more and more active role in the narrative, becoming a collaborator rather than a passive observer as in cinema and literature. Many games are built around systems in which player actions and choices can dramatically alter narrative outcomes (e.g. Mass Effect, Until Dawn). Others are designed such that the real narrative is only discovered when the player defies the initially perceived narrative (e.g. The Stanley Parable). Still others are built around the idea of the game as an experience, with the narrative only implied (e.g. Journey). Discussing elements of game design and narrative structure and bringing in philosophical notions of authorship and art, this thesis explores how all of this is working and why it is so appealing to players. The interactive medium of video games places the audience – the reader, the player, the consumer – in a unique position, challenging traditional notions of authorship and blurring the lines between author/creator and audience/player. Through this examination of the nature of narrative in video games, we may learn more about the potentials of narrative that cannot be expressed through more traditional artforms.
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Keywords
Video Games, Storytelling, Narrative, Authorship