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Aleena Chia (2022) ‘The metaverse, but not the way you think: game engines and automation beyond game development’, Critical Studies in Media Communication, 39:3, 191-200, DOI: 10.1080/15295036.2022.2080850

In this article Aleena Chia analises the automaticity of game engines as tools and how they affect the production of games, as well as the people who produce them. The author points out different aspects of the technology development in games and more, such as the automatisation of game engines being used to ease the workload of artists and not to replace them, or how on one hand they allow the game developers to have more freedom and creativity to build their game universe, but on the other hand how it constrains and locks the developers in certain systems. This article perfectly reflects the medium specificity of the digital area regarding gaming, as well as beyond (“meta”). As a person who follows the updates released by game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity, and the introduction of A.I. in the workflow, I am excited but also worried of how the artistic side of the digital media, including video games, will evolve.

Blom, J. (2023) ‘Video Game Characters and Transmedia Storytelling: The Dynamic Game Character’. Amsterdam University Press.

In this book, Blom discusses the importance of characters and how they stand as pillars for transmedia objects. For his analysis he focuses on three elements: transmedia storytelling, Japanese studies and game studies. Throughout the book, Blom treats characters as individual study subjects, not as just part of the narratives, explaining how characters have different transtextual identities. In one of the chapters, he also discusses strategies on how to control a character’s transtextual identities. He refers to these types of characters as “dynamic game characters”. In the final chapters of the book, Blom discusses the future of dynamic characters as a part of the affect economics in digital media, underlining how they enhance personal experiences. As an artist specialised in characters, I found it very useful to see a different perspective of characters, not from narratives perspective. It also helped me have a better understanding on how to build my characters in a way that they would be coherent through transmedia.

Devine, T. C., Presnell, W. A., & Miller, S. (2014). ‘Games as Art and Kant’s Moral Dilemma: What Can Ethical Theory Reveal About the Role of the Game Designer as Artist?’ Games and Culture, 9(4), 277-310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412014538812

This article discusses the importance of ethics in video games and the responsibility artists and designers have. With a variety of research, images and diagrams, the authors use Kant’s ethical theory to explain concepts such as “categorical imperative”, “maxims”, “duties”, “kingdom of ends” etc. Moving forward into the article, the authors analyse the game Fallout 3 by Bethesda Game Studios through the eyes of Immanuel Kant and how he would react in the choice-making situations the player is put in during the game, applying the theories they previously explained. I have always enjoyed learning about philosophy, so learning about Kant’s ethics theory and seeing it applied to games ethics, was intriguing. It helped me realise the responsibility I have as a game designer and how my decisions, like character design, narratives and mechanics (story progression based on decision making) can have an impact over the players.

Fizek, S. (2022) ‘Playing at a Distance: Borderlands of Video Game Aesthetic.’ 1st edn. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

This book presents the variety in which players can play and interact with games and how, by their diverse constructs, games can influence us. Throughout the chapters in which she analyses the different types of play, Fizek introduces a new approach by adding the concept of distance, which means the player’s immediate action is now computerised. In the postlude, the author states “I was fascinated not only by how we play with computers, but also how they play with us”, which I believe to be the essence of the book. I found this book intriguing as it showed me a different approach from the classical view of ludic player-game interaction. In a society in which technology evolves at an extreme speed and the video game industry plays a bigger and bigger role, I believe it is essential for game developers and artists to understand how the digitalised medium interferes with the fundamentals of play.

Harrer, S. (2018;2019;) ‘Games and Bereavement : How Video Games Represent Attachment, Loss and Grief.’ 1st edn. Bielefeld, Germany: transcript Verlag.

This book analyses how bereavement and grief are being represented in video games. Starting by explaining the theory of ergodic narratives and game interactivity, in the first chapter, Harrer discusses the “myths” such as “ergodicity myth” and “Interactivity myth” to explain how they influence the affect and emotional involvement of the player. Further, she talks about bereavement and grief using Freud’s theory and Kübler-Ross five stages of grief, which is the most famous bereavement model in Western culture. In the second part of the book, the author uses the previous theory to discuss how different types of loss are being represented in games. Harrer also discusses ways of using game designs as art therapy for grief. I found this book intriguing as it analyses a very sensitive subject, which ironically has been desensitised in today’s games and media. Because I have an affinity for dark fantasy, this book helped me consider how I should interpret and depict death, grief and bereavement in a realistic and respectful way.

Maureen Thomas (2009) ‘Taking a chance on losing yourself in the game’, Digital Creativity, 20:4, 253-275, DOI: 10.1080/14626260903290265

In the third chapter of this article entitled “playing the hero”, Maureen talks about the female representation as main characters in games, taking the character Lara Croft from Tom Rider as model. This article analyses how Lara Croft is more than just a female character, she is a “female avatar in a men’s shaping”, as Maureen states. The author argues how in order for the woman to be the heroic main character, she has to be aligned to the norm predefined by men and go through many previously considered manly challenges, while also being a symbol of femininity, with sensual moves and exaggerated female body. This source helped me see a different perspective on female representation in games, that even the most famous female characters who want to be seen as feminist and empowering women, are still moulded through the masculine stereotypes and the male gaze. It also made me question my own concepts and use of feminine characters, as a character designer, and how subconsciously may be influenced by the already existing structures and stereotypes.

Sang Jin Kim, Kyung Hoon Kim & Pekka Mattila (2012) ‘The Role of Fashion in the Characters of Online Games’, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 3:2, 81-88, DOI: 10.1080/20932685.2012.10593110

This article presents the importance of fashion as a visual stimulus and proposes a conceptual model that evaluates the relation between character fashion, storytelling and game satisfaction in Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). With strong research and evidence, the authors argue that character fashion plays a key role in the immersion and satisfaction of the player. They also state that people being able to find themselves in the character also increases the level of their satisfaction towards the game, as it can be demonstrated through all the items purchased with real money in order to create unique and fashionable characters. I found this research very interesting and useful as it is strongly connected with my area of practice. Clothes play a big part in the design of the character, as it gives personality and uniqueness. This article helped me understand the importance of characters' clothing and how it influences the relationship between the game and the player.

Shaffer, D.W. (2008;2007;2006;) ‘How computer games help children learn’. 1st edn. Basingstoke;New York;: Palgrave Macmillan

This book discusses how games can be used as teaching tools. The author begins by describing what makes an activity a game and how not games are “fun” or win-lose situations. Shaffer uses epistemic games made by researchers to exemplify how they can be used for a wide range of teaching. Each chapter talks about a game project: “The Debating Game”, to teach epistemology, “Digital Zoo” for physics and engineering knowledge, “The Pandora Project” which teaches values through medical procedures and biology, “Science.net” that teaches journalism and “Urban Science” which revolves around building cities. I strongly believe this book is very useful, even if it’s from 2008, as it perfectly demonstrates the epistemic side of the gaming industry, and in present days we get to see more and more games like these. This book made me think about how I can incorporate educational elements in my games and characters to add a more complex dimension to them.

Summers, T. (2016) ‘Understanding video game music’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

In this book, Summers discusses how music and games have intertwined elements and are more similar than we think. In the first part, he focuses on describing the musical components of games and their functionality, while the second part focuses on the roles and effects of music in games. The author starts with an analogy of the word “play” that is used for both musical instruments and games, which I thought to be very interesting. Throughout the book, Summers explains how music is also used in games to identify characters' nationalities or underline their theme, as well as how music can actually stimulate players' performance in action games. As music and sounds play a crucial part in the immersive experience of the games, I found this book ideal for someone who wants to understand how music influences the gaming experience.

Vandewalle, A., Malliet, S., & Demoen, K. (2023). ‘Playing with Character: A Framework of Characterization in Video Games.’ Games and Culture, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231179496

This article focuses on analysing the understanding of the ways through which games present character traits. Throughout the discussion, the authors explain the relation between the components that do the characterization: developers, voice actors, and the players through the character customization, exemplifying using Aarseth’s 1997 ergodic characterisation. They also talk about different aspects of how the narratives and characters are directly influenced by each other, analysing and explaining the character construct elements through the story world cues, as well as the medium cues. As a character artist I found it fascinating to see how every small detail from actions, voice, environment etc, can build up the story and complexity of the character, directly and indirectly. This article helped me think of new ways to add detail and background on my own characters in order to make them more rounded and with depth.

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