Player vs. Environment: The Historical Roots in D&D and Space Invaders

The chapter examines the historical roots of the player versus environment concept in video games by analyzing Dungeons & Dragons and Space Invaders. Dungeons & Dragons presents monsters as stat blocks inviting players to dominate and gain rewards, while Space Invaders provides a visual representation of enemies, drawing from existing monster cultures like War of the Worlds. These games create a virtualized world where monsters are hostile yet objectified targets disconnected from actual materiality.