The three games I plan on examining are The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, and Fallout 3. I plan to explore immersion using a game’s playing on a player’s sense of morality (using Vampire and Fallout), the engagement of the player with the story (using Vampire), and with the player’s engagement with the world-space (using Vampire and Skyrim). The main aspect’s I’ll be looking at with each of these topics is believability (https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4e2b/c7e3730273f8ef669aaea57a0e590a1957d7.pdf#page=96 deals with all three games I’ve listed) and level of player interaction (ie, how much control does the player have over their own actions? How much does their actions affect the world? Is the player given a solid reason to care about the world?). I’m planning on creating a webspace on wordpress and using gameplay videos (either of my own making or else taken from the internet) to augment and expand upon my points. I also should be able to provide plenty of screenshots of my own.
Thesis: Through an immersive play-space driven by story, world, and sense of morality, video games can engage the player to the point where they mentally transfer consciousness from the real world tot heir character in the game space, creating an escape from the present reality to another one.
Hey James!
The topic of your project is so interesting. I really want to see your final product, because I can tell it’s going to be such a cool project. I love your choice of games that you’re opting to use for examples too – they’re perfectly tailored to what you’re planning on conveying. In terms of secondary sources, looking for some scholarly articles on how RPGs garner player commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the game might be a great way for you to add a bit of theoretical backing.
Hello James. I think you have a very strong thesis that you will be able to find a lot of interesting articles on. I think the sense of identity that some players associate with their avatar varies based on the immersion a player feels and experiences in their game play. I look forward to seeing what information you can come up with to support your thesis.
Escapism is a very interesting construct, especially with today’s heavily technology obsessed global society. Such a discourse translates quite well into gamin culture, so I’m excited to see what you can come up with! Are there personal reasons behind your gaming choices, or are they simply the best examples for what your’e investigating? The potential pedagogical thread between game play and morality is a different viewpoint to many modern games, as I feel such a construct isn’t usually strongly considered during the making therein. Perhaps there could be a consequential aspect that should be introduced to the creation of games? Sounds good so far!