Browse Hierarchy HST6405: Video Games: History, Culture and Representation from Pacman to Pokemon

With around 1.2 billion players worldwide, video games have become a vital aspect of global culture. Developing your ability to analyse and interpret audio-visual and digital sources, this module traces the video game¿s developmental history from its amusement arcade origins to today, situating games within a variety of critical and socio-cultural contexts. We will focus on narrative, exploring how games tell stories and how they immerse us in virtual worlds. There will be a particular emphasis on the history of gender representation. A historically male-dominated industry now working towards greater inclusivity, how have games represented women and addressed female players? Should we consider Tomb Raider¿s iconic Lara Croft as a Feminist symbol of empowerment and agency? Other key topics include the influence of Japan¿s history and culture on the game industry and the video game's relationship to cinema (especially Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror).