This week, Inspired by Daniel Johnson's article about games and culture, we wade in to the fascinating-yet-nebulous realm of culture in video games. After a brief discussion of how to define the term, we think about the cultural influences found in video games. Whether it is a game's content, the way it was produced, or its capacity to illustrate the societies in which it exists, games carry meaning about everyone involved in the process. As this site is largely about examining the culture that both flows through and emanates from games, we found plenty to talk about in this article. We hope to hear your thoughts in the comments!Some discussion starters:
- What games have you found particularly interesting in terms of the way they represented a specific culture (either positively or negatively)? Who is most qualified to handle cultural topics in video games?
- When does a culture become stifling? How do development techniques, business practices, social mores, and player expectation impact this?
- What do video games say about our current societies? What games from the past do you find particularly illustrative of cultural zeitgeists?
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Show Notes:
- Run time: 28 min 50 sec
- Daniel Johnson's Article, via GameSetWatch: "'Lingua Franca' – The Place Of Games In Culture"
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
