Papers by Robert Cassar
If videogames are carriers of ideological frameworks which work in favour of certain groups in so... more If videogames are carriers of ideological frameworks which work in favour of certain groups in society, how are such meanings divulged? Despite the achievement of important landmarks the academic field of game studies is still rife with gaps which need to be addressed. Hence, this study aims to provide for this general lack of tools by offering for scrutiny the means to carry out a systematic and analytical narrative analysis of games. What is proposed here is a comprehensive set of theoretical as well as will report and discuss the findings observed. And, finally in chapter ten, conclusions will be drawn and suggestions for future research will be presented.
Gramsci and Games
Games and Culture, 2013
The objective of this article is to highlight the relevance ideological debate plays in the study... more The objective of this article is to highlight the relevance ideological debate plays in the study of popular culture texts and in particular in that of video games. Every text is a reflection of the ideological forces (cultural, economic, social, individual, etc.) generating it. Thus, ideology is essentially an omnipresent entity, which knows no boundaries of class, race, or cultural background. As a matter of fact, games are capable of reflecting ideological stances in a variety of ways. Throughout the first part of this article, we will revisit ideology from a Marxist perspective, that is, as a form of deception, manipulation, and enslavement and subsequently by moving away from such a deterministic/fatalistic approach and discussing it in the light of Gramsci’s theory of hegemony. By providing practical examples, this article will attempt to show how both ideological and hegemonic processes operate in the video game medium.
The primary aim of this paper is to better understand the nature of narrative in games. In order ... more The primary aim of this paper is to better understand the nature of narrative in games. In order to carry out such objective it was decided to use a methodology inspired by humanist approaches but not exclusively limited to them. Mayra (2009) points out that humanists and social scientists, approach game studies in different ways and that there is in fact a 'methodological' divide between the formal and informal methods adopted and a divergence in their conception of the role of the player when applied to game studies. According to Aarseth (2007) as quoted in Mayra (2009); a humanist game scholar sees the player as a 'necessary but uncontrollable part of the process of creating ludic meaning a function that is created by gameplay as well as co creator of it', whilst the social scientist views the player as a 'historical, situated and flesh and blood' entity. At this stage of the discussion it is only fair to provide some form of justification for choosing to attempt a narratorial analysis of a video game. It should be pointed out that representational content in games has become so rich that it deserves to be studied on its own merits. In this regard Dovey and Kennedy (2006, p.88) point out that considering all this; it would be senseless for an emergent discipline trying to establish its methodological portfolio, to ignore such a dominant and contemporary trend or to try to eliminate it from academic research.
Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture, 2013
This paper is the result of an attempt to carry out a close reading ofthe videogames series God o... more This paper is the result of an attempt to carry out a close reading ofthe videogames series God of War (GOW). The purpose of thisstudy was to scrutinise the structure of the plot in such as way asto better understand how game developers use this medium todeliver stories. The tool used to undertake this task was JosephCampbell’s monomyth (Hero’s journey) as adapted by ChristopherVogler in his ‘Writer’s Journey’. The analysis was mostlyconcerned with the type of narrative components and structurespresent in the game/s. The researcher position in this study is thesame one used by Carr (2002); that is from the perspective of an‘academic fan’. Ultimately this work’s ontology was inductivelydeveloped from data collected from different sources; including fieldnotes of personal gaming sessions and documents associated withthe game such as game manuals, reviews, articles and otherrelated content.
Leisure and Hegemony
The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory, 2017
This article seeks to explore the nature of violence, war and issues of territoriality in action ... more This article seeks to explore the nature of violence, war and issues of territoriality in action adventure video games. It aims to demonstrate that the debate should move beyond the current discussion about their violent nature and start looking into why violent and militaristic themes have become a staple of the industry. It is argued that these notions should be
explored from a philosophical and ideological perspective. This exploration will take the form of an ideological critique of the nature of war and militaristic themes in six action oriented titles specifically selected for this study.
Here is an attempt to determine whether action games normalize or reinforce established practices or goals which contribute to the continuation of hegemonic territorial and militaristic agendas. Violent acts perpetrated by the player are investigated in terms of their ludic ethos but also as an
empowering device and source of satisfaction for the player.
Analysing God of War: A Hero's Journey
This paper is the result of an attempt to carry out a close reading of
the videogames series God... more This paper is the result of an attempt to carry out a close reading of
the videogames series God of War (GOW). The purpose of this
study was to scrutinise the structure of the plot in such as way as
to better understand how game developers use this medium to
deliver stories. The tool used to undertake this task was Joseph
Campbell’s monomyth (Hero’s journey) as adapted by Christopher
Vogler in his ‘Writer’s Journey’. The analysis was mostly
concerned with the type of narrative components and structures
present in the game/s. The researcher position in this study is the
same one used by Carr (2002); that is from the perspective of an
‘academic fan’. Ultimately this work’s ontology was inductively
developed from data collected from different sources; including field
notes of personal gaming sessions and documents associated with
the game such as game manuals, reviews, articles and other
related content.
Thesis Chapters by Robert Cassar
If videogames are carriers of ideological frameworks which work in favour of certain groups in so... more If videogames are carriers of ideological frameworks which work in favour of certain groups in society, how are such meanings divulged? Despite the achievement of important landmarks the academic field of game studies is still rife with gaps which need to be addressed. Hence, this study aims to provide for this general lack of tools by offering for scrutiny the means to carry out a systematic and analytical narrative analysis of games. What is proposed here is a comprehensive set of theoretical as well as methodological tools to deal more effectively and empirically with the kind of narratives emerging in games. In order to identify and study these narratives, two tools have been selected, each one to be used for a specific objective. The tools in question are narrative and content analysis. Whilst the former is used to address the narrative dimension of the games in question, the latter is used to identify and define their ideological nuances. In this thesis it will be argued that this content is mostly dispersed through narrative. Though it has been argued many times that videogame narratives are infantile and poor reflections of film and novel forms of storytelling, they nonetheless contain within them the same capacity of the older forms to dispense or insinuate ideological content. As such videogames are both influenced by ideological principles as well as cultural distributors of the latter. By being recruited by the forces of ‘good’ to defeat the forces of ‘evil’, the player is given an important role to play in an ideologically saturated fantasy. Nonetheless the nature of heroism present in these games is not of the conventional kind but has Nietzschian characteristics to it, in that it is bound to the idea of empowerment. The player is invited to partake in a fantasy where everything is possible and there are no barriers which cannot be overcome. The action component, or rather the acts of shooting and killing, so commonly associated with the action genre, become the primary source through which a sense of empowerment is channelled. At their core, action games are primarily about the illusion of control over the self, non- Western countries, cultures, ideologies, women etc. As a consequence of this, these games have become an important colonizing tool, which consolidates the hegemony of Western white men. This is also particularly evident in the way female characters are 2 represented. While male figures are portrayed as heroic, virile and empowered, female characters are objectified, sexualized and deemed of secondary importance. By exploring the ideological nature of action games, this project seeks to reaffirm the importance of studying popular culture artefacts, not solely in terms of their constituting elements but also in the wider context of their origin and point of consumption.
Contributions by Robert Cassar
'Hegemony and Leisure' in The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory
Leisure tells us a lot about who we are as humans and in and of itself plays a very important rol... more Leisure tells us a lot about who we are as humans and in and of itself plays a very important role in maintaining the social system as a whole. Even the most innocent of leisure activities can offer interesting insights into the ideological fabric of society. Nevertheless, the leisure industry should not be considered a single, uniform entity which delivers the same message under different forms and from different platforms. Ideological forces are not absolute and do not operate in a fatalistic kind of way. This idea is in line with Gramsci’s conceptualization of hegemony which he argues operates through a continuous process of negotiation and consent. Products which are synonymous with post-industrial society such as travelling, music and gaming can still withhold within them the power to offer counterhegemonic values. Indeed, counterhegemonic forces can manifest themselves even in the most unexpected of places such as in pornography and/or hostess clubs.
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Papers by Robert Cassar
explored from a philosophical and ideological perspective. This exploration will take the form of an ideological critique of the nature of war and militaristic themes in six action oriented titles specifically selected for this study.
Here is an attempt to determine whether action games normalize or reinforce established practices or goals which contribute to the continuation of hegemonic territorial and militaristic agendas. Violent acts perpetrated by the player are investigated in terms of their ludic ethos but also as an
empowering device and source of satisfaction for the player.
the videogames series God of War (GOW). The purpose of this
study was to scrutinise the structure of the plot in such as way as
to better understand how game developers use this medium to
deliver stories. The tool used to undertake this task was Joseph
Campbell’s monomyth (Hero’s journey) as adapted by Christopher
Vogler in his ‘Writer’s Journey’. The analysis was mostly
concerned with the type of narrative components and structures
present in the game/s. The researcher position in this study is the
same one used by Carr (2002); that is from the perspective of an
‘academic fan’. Ultimately this work’s ontology was inductively
developed from data collected from different sources; including field
notes of personal gaming sessions and documents associated with
the game such as game manuals, reviews, articles and other
related content.
Thesis Chapters by Robert Cassar
Contributions by Robert Cassar