All in a day's work: Working-class heroes as videogame protagonists

IF 2 Q2 COMMUNICATION
Michael Iantorno, Courtney Blamey, Lyne Dwyer, M. Consalvo
{"title":"All in a day's work: Working-class heroes as videogame protagonists","authors":"Michael Iantorno, Courtney Blamey, Lyne Dwyer, M. Consalvo","doi":"10.2478/nor-2021-0028","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Class depictions in videogames are prevalent, yet understudied. In this article, we analyse how the working class – particularly working-class men – have been depicted in videogames over the past 30 years. In doing so, we bring together a class- and gender-based analysis to study how narratives, representations, gameplay, and game systems construct the “working-class hero” as a central protagonist. This is done by examining eight paired examples of videogames that feature working-class characters in central roles, including janitor, fire-fighter, taxi driver, and bartender. Our analysis finds that some roles are glorified (such as firefighters), positioning their protagonists in direct conflict with white-collar settings and antagonists. However, many other roles task players with “doing their job” in the face of repetitive (and sometimes outlandish) working conditions. Through these examples, we document the portrayal of working-class videogame heroes, noting how videogames can both reinforce and subvert common media tropes.","PeriodicalId":45517,"journal":{"name":"Nordicom Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"3","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nordicom Review","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2021-0028","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"COMMUNICATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 3

Abstract

Abstract Class depictions in videogames are prevalent, yet understudied. In this article, we analyse how the working class – particularly working-class men – have been depicted in videogames over the past 30 years. In doing so, we bring together a class- and gender-based analysis to study how narratives, representations, gameplay, and game systems construct the “working-class hero” as a central protagonist. This is done by examining eight paired examples of videogames that feature working-class characters in central roles, including janitor, fire-fighter, taxi driver, and bartender. Our analysis finds that some roles are glorified (such as firefighters), positioning their protagonists in direct conflict with white-collar settings and antagonists. However, many other roles task players with “doing their job” in the face of repetitive (and sometimes outlandish) working conditions. Through these examples, we document the portrayal of working-class videogame heroes, noting how videogames can both reinforce and subvert common media tropes.
在一天的工作:工人阶级的英雄作为电子游戏的主角
电子游戏中的抽象类描述很普遍,但研究不足。在这篇文章中,我们分析了过去30年来,工人阶级——尤其是工人阶级男性——在电子游戏中的形象。在这样做的过程中,我们将基于阶级和性别的分析结合在一起,研究叙事、表征、游戏和游戏系统如何将“工人阶级英雄”构建为中心主角。这是通过研究八个以工人阶级角色为核心的电子游戏示例来完成的,包括看门人、消防员、出租车司机和酒保。我们的分析发现,一些角色被美化了(比如消防员),使他们的主角与白领环境和对手发生直接冲突。然而,面对重复的(有时甚至是古怪的)工作条件,许多其他角色要求玩家“做好自己的工作”。通过这些例子,我们记录了工人阶级电子游戏英雄的形象,注意到电子游戏如何强化和颠覆常见的媒体比喻。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Nordicom Review
Nordicom Review COMMUNICATION-
CiteScore
2.80
自引率
9.10%
发文量
10
审稿时长
52 weeks
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信