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Design of Alienation in Video Games

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Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games

Synonyms

Alienation; Defamiliarization; Mechanics

Definition

In this entry, it is proposed that game designers can utilize hardware systems and the structure of gameplay to highlight a game’s formal characteristics for “alienation” effect. Drawing inspiration from Bertolt Brecht’s notion of “Verfremdungseffekt,” or alienation effect, and using MDA framework (Hunicke et al. 2004), traits between alienation effect and techniques used in specific video games are analyzed to define what this article calls as “gamic alienation.” Through the reading of gameplay moments in various games that make use of gamic alienation, a continuum that consists of two important concepts for creating this effect is identified: hardware signifiers and software signifiers. Throughout the entry, it is discussed how the use of these signifiers is implemented in a range of video games, from triple-A games such as Metal Gear Solid to indie games such as DLC Quest.

Introduction

In the area of video games, the...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unity Technologies, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Kemal Akay

  2. Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Cansu Nur Simsek

Authors
  1. Kemal Akay
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  2. Cansu Nur Simsek
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kemal Akay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Computer Science Department, Woodbury University Applied Computer Science Department, Burbank, California, USA

    Newton Lee

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Akay, K., Simsek, C.N. (2018). Design of Alienation in Video Games. In: Lee, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08234-9_150-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08234-9_150-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-08234-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08234-9

  • eBook Packages: Living Reference Computer SciencesReference Module Computer Science and Engineering

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