Video Games: A Popular Culture Phenomenon

Video Games ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 3-28
Author(s):  
Arthur Asa Berger
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games

Moses and Popular Culture

2020 ◽  
pp. 30-45
Author(s):  
Linda S. Schearing
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
American Culture ◽  
Cultural Artifact ◽  
Religious Meaning

The story of Moses occurs in a plethora of popular culture mediums (fiction, songs, films, television, video games, comics, digital internet sources, etc.). This essay examines three themes in which Moses as a cultural artifact plays a crucial role in contemporary popular culture: visualizing Moses (Moses in film), learning from Moses (Moses as metaphor or analogy), and laughing at or with Moses (Moses in humor). Such a survey shows graphically the elasticity of Moses as a multivalent cultural artifact that has both influenced and continues to influence American culture. Indeed, while some extract religious meaning from the Moses story, others see parallels between Moses’ struggles and their own.

“Stealing Stuff Is about the Stuff, not the Stealing”: Rick and Morty and Narrative Instability

2020 ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
Łukasz Muniowski
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
The Third ◽  
Narrative Device ◽  
Cultural Texts

Rick and Morty, one of the most popular presently-airing American TV series, is deeply rooted in popular culture. Each episode is full of allusions and references to other cultural texts, accentuating the show’s own status as a pop cultural text. This article analyzes the third episode of the fourth season of Rick and Morty, “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty,” using Stefan Schubert’s concept of narrative instability. The episode mocks twist films by introducing a ridiculous number of twists, eventually making the viewer immune to the element of surprise usually brought on by what Schubert understands as unstable moments. In doing so, the episode also emphasizes the overuse of that narrative device in recent decades in films, TV series and video games. “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty” deconstructs twist films while sticking to the rules of the sub-genre and remaining entertaining in its own right. Instability can pose quite a problem for the showrunners, who usually have to adjust to the norms of serialized storytelling. By using Schubert’s theory of narrative instability to discuss a singular episode of a series, I hope to demonstrate the extent to which this quality has permeated modern storytelling. The episode highlights the effects of over-reliance on narrative instability as a tool, as even the most elaborate form is not enough to make up for the lack of essence. This is exactly what Rick criticizes in the episode, when he states: “stealing stuff is about the stuff, not the stealing.”

Non-religious Players Asking Big Questions: Video Game Worlds Affording Affinities of Meaningful Encounters

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200012
Author(s):  
Heidi Rautalahti
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Qualitative Interview ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Search For Self ◽  
Game Players

The article examines player narratives on meaningful encounters with video games by using an argumentative qualitative interview method. Data gathered among Finnish adult video game players represents narratives of important connections in personal lives, affinities that the article analyzes as further producing three distinctive themes on meaningful encounters. Utilizing a study-of-religion framework, the article discusses meaning making and emerging ways of meaningfulness connected to the larger discussion on the “big questions” that are asked, explored, and answered in popular culture today. Non-religious players talk about intricate and profound contemplations in relation to game memories, highlighting how accidental self-reflections in mundane game worlds frame a continuing search for self.

The Games Men Play

2017 ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Eric Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Discourse Communities ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter conveys the results of a study examining how male students use video games to construct their masculinity. Applying a critical discourse methodology, the study provides insight into how men construct their masculinity within video game discourse communities and how the construction applies to other discourses. It examines how men enter the discourse, what they learn in the discourse, and then how they apply that learning to other discourse communities. It concludes with recommendations and suggestions regarding how video games are a critical part of popular culture that facilitates construction of an identity through the multitude of encounters and relationships within the discourse.

Remediating Kalimán: Digital Evolutions of Eugenic Agents

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 57-78
Author(s):  
Itzayana Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Cultural Patrimony ◽  
American Popular Culture ◽  
Black Characters ◽  
Main Protagonist

Kalimán is a Mexican superhero that has circulated Orientalist eugenic values for over fifty years across Latin America. Although Indian, and wearing traditional Indian subcontinental clothing, distinguishable only by a jewel-encased “K” on his turban, Kalimán is a muscular, blue-eyed, and white character. He was created in 1963 as the main protagonist of a radio series that spawned a comic magazine in 1965, two films in 1972 and 1976, and animations and video games in the early 2010s, in a massive process of remediation that has guaranteed a solid mark in the cultural patrimony of the Americas. Since Kalimán incarnates impulses of punishment and desire over racially contaminated brown and black characters, his undisturbed, easy-to-access, and enduring presence provides evidence of deeply ingrained anti-Asian violence in Latin American popular culture, as well as the urge to develop a critical look at graphic violence traditions which continue to be treasured.

scholarly journals Supersystemy rozrywkowe: metodyka i metodologia badań. Propozycja

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 17-42
Author(s):  
Jakub Lichański
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
New Media ◽  
Basic Problem ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Media ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Media Message

The problem that we want to investigate in this article is a phenomenon that, for various re-searchers, including Marsh Kinder, we call super entertainment systems. It is about a multitude of uses or the existence of not only figures, but also a certain universe — not necessarily taken from popular culture, resp. literature — which will then be introduced as elements or an intertextual net-work, or rather — become elements in various entertainment systems. They can be: Classic systems, such as classic printed forms,II. Films, including amateur productions and disseminated on the Internet,III. Different types of games ranging from RPG to video games,IV. Different types of theatrical or paratheatrical forms,V. Any gadgets related to the above-mentioned elements,VI. Also — manifestations of fanatic creativity (in any form),VII. Musical forms. The problems that researchers face are related to the following: Can the above-mentioned problems be reduced to a simpler form of the question about the form of the media message? Is it about the so-called old media and new media and media convergence? What and how the roles of the sender/author and the recipient should be determined, and whether such a division is correct (NB: L. Manovich introduces the notions of the creator and consumer, whether the division into a passive/active/participating recipient is important). The problems that lie ahead are twofold:First of all — methodical issues concerning the methodology of description and research of the aforementioned phenomena,Secondly — methodological problems, among which the basic problem appears: can we define one approach to the above-mentioned issues or there will be a multiplicity of methodologies here? In the latter case, you will need to find a way/method to compare test results.

scholarly journals Japanese Martial Arts as Popular Culture: Teaching Opportunity and Challenge

Asian Studies ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-102
Author(s):  
Stephen Robert NAGY
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Martial Arts ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Culture History ◽  
Culture Teaching ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

Japanese martial arts, here after Japanese budō, are popular cultural icons that are found in films, comics, video games and books. Teaching Japanese budō at university offers a novel way to teach about East Asian and in particular Japanese culture, history, and philosophy while including ideas about the globalization and the localization of culture. Question though remains as to how and what should we teach about the popular culture of Japanese budō at the university level? This paper found that a comprehensive approach to teaching about budō was effective. By using many kinds of materials and the incorporation of opportunities to experience budō and to try budō, students were better able to grasp the historical, cultural and religious characteristics of budō.

scholarly journals Video Games and Tourism – Tourism Motivations of Chinese Video Game Players

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanzhou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push And Pull Factors ◽  
Tourism Motivation ◽  
Game Players ◽  
Push And Pull ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>This thesis discusses the impact of video games on the tourism motivation of Chinese video game players, focusing on the Assassin’s Creed series of games. Four research questions are considered: What is the difference between the travelers’ tourism motivations and non-travelers’ tourism motivations in Chinese Assassin’s Creed players in terms of push and pull factors? What is the relationship between demographic characteristics and tourism motivations? Do gamer typologies have impact on Chinese Assassin’s Creed players’ tourism motivations? What impact does time and frequencies of playing Assassin’s Creed have on players’ tourism motivations in terms of push and pull factors?</b></p> <p>The review of literature focuses on video game players, video games and tourism, popular culture tourism and tourism motivation. The thesis identifies gaps in knowledge about the tourism motivations of Chinese video game players, and the relationship between tourism motivations and player typologies and participation in the game (time and frequency). As non-travelers are included in the data collection, it is found that the tourism motivation of non-travelers is also a knowledge gap through reviewing literature.</p> <p>Motivational push and pull factors as the theoretical basis of this research and the study focuses on the Assassin’s Creed games series. The study uses a quantitative method and collects data through an online survey of Chinese gamers recruited through three Assassin’s Creed online communities. The first stage of data collection focused on those who had travelled to France, Italy or the UK, the locations appearing in four of the Assassin’s Creed games. 29 useable responses were collected. The second stage broadened the sample to include those gamers who had not travelled to these places (termed non-travelers). This generated 131 useable responses, making 160 respondents in total.</p> <p>For Chinese video game players, novelty was the most important push factor motivating travel to the Western European countries appearing in the Assassin’s Creed games. The location attribute was the most important pull factor. There is no difference in the reported tourism motivation of travelers and non-travelers. Comparing tourism motivations by age, sociality and location attributes were not different, however, respondents aged 18 to 25 had higher importance in novelty and game-related push and pull tourism motivation factors than older gamers. There was no significant difference between male and female players' tourism push and pull motivations. Based on gaming motivation, the respondents are divided into two types: hardcore players (having multiple gaming motivations) and casual players (play games for passing time). Hardcore players give higher importance to tourism motivations than casual players. More-involved players give higher importance to tourism push motivations relating to video game than less-involved players. In popular culture tourism research, there are few explorations related to video games. The research on video games and tourism has mainly focused on the gamification of tourism marketing and travel experience. This thesis is one of a few studies of gamers and tourism. Thesis derived the new knowledge for understanding video gamers’ tourism motivations.</p>

scholarly journals Video Games and Tourism – Tourism Motivations of Chinese Video Game Players

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yanzhou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push And Pull Factors ◽  
Tourism Motivation ◽  
Game Players ◽  
Push And Pull ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>This thesis discusses the impact of video games on the tourism motivation of Chinese video game players, focusing on the Assassin’s Creed series of games. Four research questions are considered: What is the difference between the travelers’ tourism motivations and non-travelers’ tourism motivations in Chinese Assassin’s Creed players in terms of push and pull factors? What is the relationship between demographic characteristics and tourism motivations? Do gamer typologies have impact on Chinese Assassin’s Creed players’ tourism motivations? What impact does time and frequencies of playing Assassin’s Creed have on players’ tourism motivations in terms of push and pull factors?</b></p> <p>The review of literature focuses on video game players, video games and tourism, popular culture tourism and tourism motivation. The thesis identifies gaps in knowledge about the tourism motivations of Chinese video game players, and the relationship between tourism motivations and player typologies and participation in the game (time and frequency). As non-travelers are included in the data collection, it is found that the tourism motivation of non-travelers is also a knowledge gap through reviewing literature.</p> <p>Motivational push and pull factors as the theoretical basis of this research and the study focuses on the Assassin’s Creed games series. The study uses a quantitative method and collects data through an online survey of Chinese gamers recruited through three Assassin’s Creed online communities. The first stage of data collection focused on those who had travelled to France, Italy or the UK, the locations appearing in four of the Assassin’s Creed games. 29 useable responses were collected. The second stage broadened the sample to include those gamers who had not travelled to these places (termed non-travelers). This generated 131 useable responses, making 160 respondents in total.</p> <p>For Chinese video game players, novelty was the most important push factor motivating travel to the Western European countries appearing in the Assassin’s Creed games. The location attribute was the most important pull factor. There is no difference in the reported tourism motivation of travelers and non-travelers. Comparing tourism motivations by age, sociality and location attributes were not different, however, respondents aged 18 to 25 had higher importance in novelty and game-related push and pull tourism motivation factors than older gamers. There was no significant difference between male and female players' tourism push and pull motivations. Based on gaming motivation, the respondents are divided into two types: hardcore players (having multiple gaming motivations) and casual players (play games for passing time). Hardcore players give higher importance to tourism motivations than casual players. More-involved players give higher importance to tourism push motivations relating to video game than less-involved players. In popular culture tourism research, there are few explorations related to video games. The research on video games and tourism has mainly focused on the gamification of tourism marketing and travel experience. This thesis is one of a few studies of gamers and tourism. Thesis derived the new knowledge for understanding video gamers’ tourism motivations.</p>

Unlimited Replays

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Gibbons
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Classical Music ◽  
Crossing Over ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Film Scores ◽  
Concert Halls ◽  
New Perspective

This book explores the intersections of values and meanings in two types of replay: where video games meet classical music, and vice versa. From the bleeps and bloops of 1980s arcades to the world’s most prestigious concert halls, classical music and video games have a long history together. Medieval chant, classical symphonies, postminimalist film scores, and everything in between fill the soundtracks of many video games, while world-renowned orchestras frequently perform concerts of game music to sold-out audiences. Yet combining video games and classical music also presents a challenge to traditional cultural values around these media products. Classical music is frequently understood as high art, insulated from the whims of popular culture; video games, by contrast, are often regarded as pure entertainment, fundamentally incapable of crossing over into art. By delving into the shifting and often contradictory cultural meanings that emerge when classical music meets video games, Unlimited Replays offers a new perspective on the possibilities and challenges of art in contemporary society.

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