Survival Horror Games

Distinctive narrative conditions arise when "speedrunning" the zombie narrative in Valve Corporation's cooperative first-person shooter games Left 4 Dead (2008) and Left 4 Dead 2 (2009). Close analyses of two live speedruns recorded at the biannual Games Done Quick charity marathon, guided by concepts from Deleuze and Guat-tari, explain how the player's narrative body, space, and time are impacted by the optimizations and exploits of the Left 4 Dead series' zombie narrative. While the zombie story preprogrammed for players is largely bypassed, speedrunning through the Left 4 Dead series' environments is a generative act of rupture that activates and deepens storytelling tendencies within zombie media that embrace chaos and decay. The speedrun is itself a form of collapse, where scripted meaning and intentionality fall away, replaced by the chance and ephemeral story of an emergent, optimized engagement.

Aspekty funkcjonowania gier cyfrowych we współczesnej kulturze: Studia przypadków to zbiór studiów poświęconych zarówno teoretycznemu, jak i praktycznemu wymiarowi badania gier cyfrowych. Centralny punkt zainteresowania tej książki stanowią dwa zagadnienia związane z badaniem gier. Pierwszym z nich, będącym jednocześnie głównym celem tej publikacji, jest uporządkowanie terminologii związanej z grami oraz wyjaśnienie niejasności obecnych w tłumaczeniu i stosowaniu terminów w międzynarodowym dyskursie groznawczym oraz opisanie cech właściwych grom cyfrowym. Drugie zagadnienie stanowią rozmaite zjawiska związane z grami cyfrowymi, zbliżające do siebie graczy i twórców oraz takie, które sprzyjają łączeniu się graczy, tworzeniu społeczności i kreowaniu tożsamości. Książka skierowana jest do badaczy gier, a także  do osób dopiero zapoznających się z tą tematyką.

Los avances en el desarrollo del software propios de las últimas décadas señalan una evolución del paradigma estético-lúdico en el fenómeno del videojuego. Las nuevas consideraciones espaciales y artísticas en el diseño del cibertexto (Aarseth, 1997) han redefinido las posibilidades de la regla y validado la adecuación lúdica a un nuevo marco de percepción usuario-objeto que se traduce a un mayor grado de control del entorno virtual por parte del usuario. Este artículo aborda un recorrido histórico-estético por el escenario pre-renderizado y sus antecedentes como recurso en el cibertexto, donde se considerará su funcionalidad dentro del subgénero del survival horror y se atenderá al contexto de su implementación en el diseño videolúdico. En segundo lugar, esta investigación acomete el análisis arquitectural de la evolución ergódica —lúdica— que supone la variación del escenario pre-renderizado 2D en Resident Evil 2 (Capcom, 1998) al entorno poligonal 3D propio de Resident Evil 2 (Remake) (Capcom, 2019). Analizaremos la experiencia de juego de ambos cibertextos a través del método comparativo, atendiendo al uso de la cámara como aspecto estético-lúdico fundamental, cuya importancia se desprende de la pérdida del plano estático cinematográfico como esencia del survival horror.

This book investigates the narrativity of some of the most popular survival horror video games and the gender politics implicit in their storyworlds. In a thorough analysis of the genre that draws upon detailed comparisons with the mainstream action genre, Andrei Nae places his analysis firmly within a political and social context.
In comparing survival horror games to the dominant game design norms of the action genre, the author differentiates between classical and postclassical survival horror games to show how the former reject the norms of the action genre and deliver a critique of the conservative gender politics of action games, while the latter are more heterogeneous in terms of their game design and, implicitly, gender politics.
This book will appeal not only to scholars working in game studies, but also to scholars of horror, gender studies, popular culture, visual arts, genre studies and narratology.
https://www.routledge.com/Immersion-Narrative-and-Gender-Crisis-in-Survival-Horror-Video-Games/Nae/p/book/9780367894115

Cette étude examine, à travers un corpus de jeux vidéo horrifiques développés en France sur une période de près de 25 ans, comment le renouvellement des iconographies et la relecture des codes narratifs, tout comme celui des mécaniques de jeu qui y sont habituellement employées, constituent rarement le coeur de des propositions vidéoludiques françaises. Néanmoins, nous montrons comment ces créations ont bien souvent pour point commun de mettre en perspective les procédés de mise en image qu'ils déploient, de la mise en scène au mode de modélisation adopté en passant par la question du flux des images et du regard. Il s'agit donc de voir comment l'horreur, devenue terrain de jeu avec l'image, semble être un prétexte idéal pour travailler, explorer, manipuler le médium et, ainsi, faire évoluer le média.

This study examines, through a corpus of horrific video games developed in France over a period of nearly 25 years, how the renewal of iconographies and the re-reading of narrative codes, as well as the game mechanics usually employed in them, rarely constitute the core of French videogame proposals. Nevertheless, we show how these creations very often have in common to put into perspective the imaging processes they deploy, from the staging to the modeling mode adopted, as well as the 8

El videojuego mantiene todo tipo de intercambios con el cine. El terror es un campo especialmente interesante para atender a los diálogos, los vaivenes y los silencios entre los dos medios. En los años 80, el videojuego trabaja con iconografías y motivos del terror cinematográfico. Se notan intentos precarios de imitar formas del sobresalto propias del género en cine pero sin llegar a apropiarse de recursos del lenguaje del cine y sin establecer un género videolúdico. El crecimiento de los motores gráficos en 3D de los 90 permite replicar recursos del lenguaje cinematográfico. La operación que condensa esta transformación es el jumpscare, elemento que modeló la enunciación del género. El survival horror se afianza como la primera forma estable de terror videolúdico. Después de 2010, el videojuego entra en un nuevo período y ensaya estrategias de shock por fuera de su relación con el cine. Algunos juegos abandonan el realismo tridimensional y los recursos cinematográficos para volver sobre desarrollos estilísticos previos y explorar el registro incierto y la vacilación de lo fantástico. Cada etapa reúne estrategias textuales que movilizan, en el plano de la enunciación, distintas formas de conmoción. El terror cinematográfico funciona como condición de producción de los dos primeros momentos, mientras que el tercero reenvía hacia el propio pasado mediático del videojuego y procura allí los insumos expresivos para desplegar nuevas formas de sobresalto.

The attached PDF is the author's final version. It differs from the printed version in some points such as page numbers and even some paragraphs. Please refer to the original version when you cite this. Thanks.
https://www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-5051-8/violence-perception-video-games/

Resumo Objetiva-se traçar um breve panorama da escrita epistolar como instrumento de criação de efeito gótico na narrativa do romance Drácula, de Bram Stoker, para desenvolver uma discussão sobre como esse efeito vem sendo produzido em narrativas de jogos das franquias de videogames do gênero de Survival Horror como Resident Evil 4 (2005) e Fatal Frame (2001). Metodologicamente, a pesquisa é empreendida pela revisão bibliográfica do gênero literário gótico e de suas características-no que tange à escrita epistolar e análise de corpus, tanto composto pelo romance Drácula quanto por imagens e trechos das mensagens dos jogos em questão. Essa abordagem se sustenta graças às contribuições da História Cultural defendidas por Roger Chartier (2002), na perspectiva de que os indícios materiais dos objetos culturais devem ser abarcados nas análises sobre as leituras empreendidas pelos leitores. Conclui-se, após revisão e análises empreendidas, que os efeitos provocados pela fragmentação narrativa causada pelo uso de registros escritos e de falas gravadas encontrados pelos jogadores em ambos os jogos paralelizam os efeitos que são provocados pelo trabalho de Stoker na construção do romance Drácula. Palavras-chave Narrativa. Epistolar. Drácula. Survival Horror. Videogame.


Abstract
A brief overview of epistolary writing as a tool for creating Gothic effect in the narrative of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is proposed, in order to develop a discussion of how this effect has been produced in video game narratives of franchises of Survival Horror genre as Resident Evil 4 (2005) and Fatal Frame (2001). Methodologically, the research is undertaken through a bibliographical review of the Gothic literary genre and its characteristics – with regard to epistolary writing and corpus analysis, both composed by the novel Dracula and by images and excerpts from the messages of both games. This approach is supported by the contributions of Cultural History as studied by Roger Chartier (2002), in the perspective that the material evidence of cultural objects should be used in the analyzes of the readings undertaken by the readers. It is concluded, after review and analysis undertaken, that the effects caused by the narrative fragmentation produced by the use of written records and recorded speech that are found by the players in both games parallels the effects that are
caused by the work of Stoker in the construction of the novel Dracula.

Virtual reality is the new emerging games where gamers experience a real world thus elicit emotional activation. The study aims to build a game model using Unity3D for building the game functionality, Blender for the character 3D model, ZBrush, Autodesk for character sketching, Photoshop for character enhancement, and VR box for viewing the game environment and the application of the A* search algorithm in the game. Furthermore, the prototype game model was evaluated by five (5) game developers and ten (10) gamers using the criterion on the Clarity of Rules, Flow, Strategy Luck, Balance, Length, Theme and Mechanics Integration, Tension and Fun. In result the game prototype marked an overall performance result of 83.22% specifically recorded highest score in two (2) criterion on for both strategy, luck and balance and tension fun of 93.33%.

Cette thèse se propose d’étudier les enjeux et les stratégies à l’œuvre dans l’apparition de la peur dans les œuvres littéraires et vidéoludiques. Il s’agit de théoriser, dans une démarche comparatiste, le rapprochement des deux médiums ainsi que les paradigmes structurant les fictions horrifiques. La capacité du jeu vidéo et de la littérature à produire de l’incertitude et de l’étrangeté à partir d’un code rigoureux (textuel, informatique, ludique) durant son actualisation en œuvre par l’interaction du lecteur/joueur et l’interdépendance conflictuelle entre mimesis (mise en forme du réel) et phantasia (résurgence d’un réel défiant la rationalité) forment les fondations de ce travail.
En tant que catalyseur de la peur, le monstre constitue le point central de l’analyse formelle des œuvres étudiées. La synthèse d’un large corpus permet d’identifier quatre archétypes à partir desquels se déploient les multiples actualisations de la monstruosité : le Barbare, la Gorgone, le Revenant et la Chimère. Ces figures incarnent les zones d’ombre de la culture occidentale. Le Barbare exprime la confrontation à une étrangeté envahissant l’environnement familier mais aussi le soubassement violent et chaotique de la civilisation. La Gorgone représente l’Autre radical, fascinant et terrifiant. S’en approcher suppose de s’aventurer hors du monde et de courir le risque d’être contaminé par la monstruosité, incapable de regagner la demeure. Le Revenant figure les enjeux de la hantise, d’un passé qui, constitutif du présent, reste vivant. Fruit d’une rupture de la continuité temporelle, il ne peut qu’y être réintégré par la résolution de l’énigme qu’il pose. La Chimère est, quant à elle, celle qui transgresse les catégories. Monstre aux multiples visages, elle défie l’organisation rationnelle du réel.
Enfin, une étude de la figure de l’auteur, des processus d’adaptation et d’extension des univers fictifs permet d’aborder la mobilité des figures monstrueuses et leur capacité à franchir les frontières, qu’il s’agisse des intentions de création, des cadres médiatiques ou des mondes fictionnels.
Ces conclusions s’appuient sur une mise en dialogue d’œuvres littéraires et vidéoludiques sélectionnées dans un corpus varié visant à concilier rigueur de l’analyse et vision englobante.

The Silent Hill franchise is beyond doubt one of the most popular and well-known survival horror video game franchises today. The Internet tools allow the fans of the franchise join their efforts to understand the game better, as well as spread the knowledge of the game and offer help in understanding it. As they devote time and effort to activities such as writing plot anylises, creating walkthroughs and fan documentaries, discussions and searching for new information, the players take on the roles of not only the audience, but also critics of and experts in the Silent Hill franchise.

Recently affective computing has been an active research topic due to the intention of narrowing the communication gap between humans and computers. As electroencephalogram devices have become more compact, accessible, even commercially available, an increasing number of studies have been focused on developing sophisticated methods to process EEG signals. Neuromarketing and biofeedback gaming are just two concepts among the huge number of possibilities that could utilize these advances. In this thesis, EEG, galvanic skin response (GSR) and heart rate (HR) of 10 subjects were recorded during the gameplay of a horror game. The acquired frontal EEG asymmetry (FEA) feature was analyzed and compared to the GSR signals in order to test the robustness of FEA as indicator of fear intensity. FEA values reflected the calm state as the used hypothesis suspected, but under fear, a contrary process was observed as expected. This phenomenon may infer that FEA values are more likely to be affected by the process of fear regulation than reactivity. Results of self-assessment and GSR measurements, which indicate significant experiencing of fear, may encourage future studies to utilize video games as emotion elicitors. The method developed to capture fear intensity can be used in biofeedback horror games, to help players conquer their fears, by rewarding them to do so. Furthermore, commercials can be examined as fear elicitors, as it was showed that consumers under moderate fear were vulnerable to external influence.

“This chapter aims to explain how sound in horror computer games works towards eliciting emotions in the gamer: namely fear and dread. More than just analyzing how the gamer produces meaning with horror game sound in relation to its overarching generic context, it will look at how the inner relations of the sonic structure of the game and the different functions of computer game sound are manipulated to create the horrific strategies of the games. This chapter will also provide theoretical background on sound, gameplay, and the reception of computer games to support my argument.”

Six generations of game systems have come and gone since the first home consoles appeared in the 1970s, and the games themselves have advanced in tandem. As this media has evolved into a worldwide industry, the need to study it academically has arisen; but a conflict has emerged between those who try to apply classical narrative theory, and those who believe that narrative is fundamentally unimportant to such study. It is my intention to argue in favor of a narratological approach by way of NJ Lowe’s model of plot as a game. Lowe uses the analogy of a board game to present a vocabulary of concepts for use in discussing the narrative worlds of Classical texts; I apply this theory to the PlayStation 2 game Forbidden Siren, a survival-horror game which has some intriguing traits that set it apart from many simpler games, such as multiple endings, multiple characters, and the ability to see through the eyes of enemies and allies at will. Episodes of the game are played out in a non-linear fashion, such that episodes played sequentially may occur simultaneously or in reverse order within the game world, and actions undertaken by the player in one episode can have consequences (both positive and negative) in
subsequent episodes. The intent of my paper is not to demonstrate the superiority of narratology to ludology, but to demonstrate that a theory of narrative designed for literature can be successfully applied to a video game text.