45 – Schleiner – The Player’s Power To Change the Game
Mar 31, 2022
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Anne-Marie Schleiner discusses Ludic Mutation in games, exploring player creativity, activism, and resistance. The hosts delve into academic challenges, anthropomorphic narratives, game mods, and empathetic missions. They also touch on corporate influence, player autonomy, and the potential for games to drive social impact.
Modding in Quake 1 revolutionized female character representation in video games.
Disruptive art games challenge traditional game structures and foster new play cultures.
Game mods serve as a platform for player self-representation and creative expression.
Modding communities envision a shared space for disruptive and artistic game mods.
Game mods have shifted from transformative creations to sub-commercial enterprises.
Serious games like September 12th aim to raise awareness and provoke critical reflection on social issues.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Game Mods and Changes in Game Development
The podcast delves into the origins of game mods in Quake 1, highlighting how modders created female character models within the limitations of the bulky space marine frame. The introduction of official female models in Quake 2 marked a shift in player representation. The chapter explores how modding culture influenced game development and shifts in gender representation within video games.
Queer Game Care and Ludic Mutation in Gaming Communities
The podcast discusses how disruptive art games, such as those rendering the game unplayable, provide an avenue for new play cultures to emerge. Michelle Saris' theory is examined, emphasizing the potential of game mods, like the frag queens in Quake 1, as interruptions within traditional gaming structures. The notion of ludic mutation and queer game care reshape player interactions with gaming content.
Artistic Exploration and Player Representation in Modding Communities
Exploring the artistic and representational aspects of game mods, the podcast analyzes how mods serve as a platform for exploring player identity and representation. Examples like the frag queens in Quake 1 showcase the innovative ways modders reimagine game characters beyond traditional norms, offering players unique opportunities for self-representation and creative expression.
Future Possibilities and Collaborative Modding Commons
Looking towards the future of modding communities, the podcast envisions a shared modding commons where resources are freely exchanged among modders for creating disruptive and artistic game mods. The idea of modders becoming parasitic agents introducing noise and chaos into established game systems is explored as a means of encouraging artistic and activist expressions through game modifications.
Chapter 1: The Influence of Game Mods on Content Creation
Game mods have evolved over time, shifting from transformative creations to becoming sub-commercial enterprises. These mods contribute to customizing games for individual preferences or enhancing gameplay. The influence of game mods extends to platforms like Patreon and donations, fostering a vibrant gaming community.
Chapter 2: Activist Game Rhetoric and Broken Toy Tactics
The discussion delves into serious games with activist intentions, such as September 12th, a game showcasing the complexities of the war on terror. Broken toy tactics, inspired by Heidegger's broken hammer concept, emphasize how games can subvert political statements. Critiques of procedural gameplay and the effectiveness of serious games are explored.
Chapter 3: Harrowing Missions in Video Games
Harrowing missions in games like Darfur is Dying aim to generate empathy for real-world crises. Players are immersed in challenging scenarios to raise awareness, prompting reflection on larger social issues. The chapter also highlights the significance of disruptions in gameplay mechanics to provoke critical thinking and social consciousness.
Chapter 4: Militainment and Hacktivist Interventions
The chapter addresses how video games portray urban centers as sites of military conflict, reflecting real-world trends. Hacktivist actions in games like Counter-Strike and discussions around serious gaming reveal attempts to challenge dominant narratives and engage players in socio-political issues. The complexity of navigating between game mechanics and political statements is explored.
Chapter 5: Children's Play and Biopolitical Discourse in Deno Coil
The chapter examines the anime series Deno Coil as an allegory for societal structures and resistance. It portrays children's play as a subversive act within digital spaces controlled by mega-corporations. The narrative's conflicting resolution underscores tensions between individual agency and societal norms, offering insights into the power dynamics of play.
Chapter 6: Reflections on Ludic Mutation and Subterranean Resistance
The concluding chapter explores the concept of ludic mutation as a form of subterranean resistance within games. It emphasizes the potential for games to challenge power dynamics and provoke critical engagement, highlighting the subversive capacities of play. The book underscores the role of game interventions in shaping social consciousness and fostering alternative narratives.
Upcoming Episode Recommendations
For the next episode, the focus will be on John Peterson's 'The Illusive Shift' analyzing the origins of role-playing games, followed by William Whites's 'Tabletop RPG Design Theory and Practice at the Forge, 2001-2012' exploring RPG design discussions. Subsequent episodes will feature a 'Summer of Classics' with a series of influential game studies books for in-depth analysis and discussion.
