The Wealth of Virtual Nations

This book considers representations of wealth and the wealthy in videogames. The introduction explores the estrangement of wealth from everyday life in the contemporary west, and argues that videogames have contributed to modern life by dramatizing the economic anxieties of our age in particular, those anxieties that relate to the Global Great Recession. A review of historical titles reveals that such and related efforts draw in significant ways from the literary tradition of sentimental romance, where wealth and the wealthy have long been associated with notions of the underworld or hell. The relevance of this tradition to contemporary titles is explored through a careful analysis of romantic themes and concerns with significance to acts of exchange. The Wealth of Virtual Nations will appeal to students with an interest in narrative theory, game design, literature, economics, and the humanities. It will also be of interest to the videogame industry.

Offers a unique history of videogame narratives with a novel focus on the role and functions of wealth Pays careful attention to the related, incremental transformations of wealth in videogames that have emerged over time, and to how these changes have echoed major cultural developments in the American scene during the millennial period Establishes new paths for considering American culture's endless fascination with wealth with examples drawn from videogames

Autorentext
Adam Crowley is Associate Professor of English at Husson University, USA.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction: Analyzing Wealth in Videogames.- Chapter 2: Literary Theory for Gamers.- Chapter 3: The Symbolic Order of Action and Possibility Bearing on Time.- Chapter 4: Capital and Class Determinations in Videogames.- Chapter 5: Night World Identify Affirmations.- Chapter 6: Conclusion: The Wealth of Virtual Nations.