Using Characterization Theory to Study the History of Video Game Characters

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Vandewalle Alexander Malliet Steven
2022 DiGRA ’22 – Proceedings of the 2022 DiGRA International Conference: Bringing Worlds Together

 

Prosthetic Metaphors, Rejection, and Representation in Games

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Gardner Daniel Hacker Kelly
2022 DiGRA ’22 – Proceedings of the 2022 DiGRA International Conference: Bringing Worlds Together

 

Is My Avatar MY Avatar? Character Autonomy and Automated Avatar Actions in Digital Games

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Willumsen Ea Christina
2018 DiGRA '18 - Proceedings of the 2018 DiGRA International Conference: The Game is the Message

This paper will explore the borders between the avatar and character dimensions of the player figure, as outlined by Vella (2015), particularly in cases where this line is blurred. Through investigation of five different examples, I suggest we use the measures of avatar control and character complexity to study the relationship between avatar and character in a given instance. Avatar control refers to the amount of agency the player has in a given instance in a game compared to the default mode of agency, whereas character complexity builds on transmedia and literary theory approaches to characters, to explore what constitutes complexity of the character in question. The analysis allows us to assess whether the instance can be considered representing either character autonomy or automated avatar actions, and in turn may help us understand the relationship between the player, the avatar, and the character.

 

The appeal of cute monkeys

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Tosca Susana Pajares
2003 DiGRA '03 - Proceedings of the 2003 DiGRA International Conference: Level Up

If we agree with Sega and Nintendo advertising and look at the selling numbers of the game Super Monkey Ball, it seems that its characters, MeeMee, GonGon, Baby and AiAi would have to be some of the most successful computer game characters ever created. The game doesn’t have any story, but the monkeys have personality and are ever so cute. Is it possible that the “aesthetics of cuteness” so prevalent in many Japanese consumption and entertainment products has also now conquered Western hearts? This paper examines the construction and reception of the four characters, and reflects about the relationship between the pure visual design element of a game and its success as an entertainment product, including a qualitative study conducted with a number of test subjects exposed to the game.