| Computer
games as research topic
The project „Between
‘God Mode’ and ‘God Mood’“
examines one of the most recent and most successful
media of the present, the computer games. Less than
half a century old, computer games can’t be
imagined any more apart from society, culture and
economy. They change values, roles, social relations
and individual identity of their users.
Experts in different scientific fields contribute
to ‘game studies’, an emerging interdisciplinary
discipline dedicated to the study of computer games.
So far, though, there were hardly any religious
studies questions put to the multimedium. The research
project „Between ‘God Mode‘ and
‘God Mood‘“ contributes to closing
this gap.
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God Mode
The term ‘god mode‘ stems from
the gamer scene and designates an immortal and
all-powerful state of the player character in
a game. In some games, such a state is foreseen
as an exceptional and limited situation. More
often, though, it is induced by gamers through
manipulating (hacking) the program code of the
game (cheating).
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The contents of
entertainment computer games often refer to the
imaginary worlds of historical religions. Titles
such as Diablo, Demigod, Assassin’s
Creed, Black & White, Sacred and many
others testify to a religious background of the
game story. Games and game series less apparent
in this respect, such as Civilization, Spore,
Total War, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri etc.
also show religious contents as integral game
components. Using the example of two entertainment
PC computer games – Anno 1404
and Risen –, this
research project pursues the question of what
kind of religious symbolism is used and how it
is integrated to the story, rules and mechanics
of these games. The (religious) contents are understood
as sings in order to investigate their semiotic
and aesthetic characteristics and to clarify their
relationship to the myths and rituals mediated
in the sample games. |
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Temples turn up
„Well, let’s see… All those temples turn up
and we’re thinking ‚Hurrah, the gods have finally
smiled on us.‘“
Lukor, Bandit aus dem Spiel Risen.
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On the other hand
we ask about the importance of computer games
to gamers. With what cognitive and emotional commitment
do gamers get involved in the religious contents
in the sample games? Are there any transfer processes
between everyday life and game world to be established?
More generally, what significance does computer
gaming have in the context of individual biographies,
and how is this related to the social function
of religion? |
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High-speed meditation
„There must be a reason why so many
of the people I know who enjoy videogames describe
racing a good lap in Colin McRae Rally or clearing
waves in Defender as a ‚Zen‘ experience.
This is understood to be shorthand for a kind
of high-speed meditation.“
Steven Pole. (2000). Trigger Happy.
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The data collection
and analysis is carried out according to both,
a modified participant observation („playing
observation“), as well as quantitative and
qualitative social research. The concept of religion
stems from the modern sociology of religion and
is determined multifactorial. The online survey
will involve the informants in the definition;
their view of religion weight the said defining
factors or functions. Thus, single game signs
can be identified as „religious“ and
analyzed in terms of aesthetic, semiotic and ludic
characteristics. The significance of these game
signs and gaming in general, attributed by gamers,
are accessed by survey and evaluated by qualitative
content analysis. |
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Playing observation
‘Playing observation‘ is a method
of data collection developed for singleplayer
computer games. It is grounded in the anthropological
‚participant observation‘, but is
modified according to the technological and ludological
conditions of computer games.
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Objectives
and significance of the study
Computer games
are a currently relevant topic to policies of
society, education and culture. Given that situation,
this research project aims to be a contribution
to a necessary and differentiated social debate.
In addition, the results may be relevant to practically
oriented areas of culture, journalism, youth work,
psychology/psychiatry, addiction prevention, (religious)
education and computer game design. The topics
of myth and rituals that are treated in this study
are socio-politically relevant, insofar as they
are prominent in social processes like identity
formation, group formation, intercultural encounters
and conflicts. Their discussion in the context
of the study sheds new light on the potential
of computer games in such processes. |
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Bedeutung des Spielens
„Die Frage ist dann, ob sich soziales
Handeln durch das Potential des Computers und
des Computerspielens langfristig verändert
und was das genau bedeutet – nicht durch
irgendwelche Spielinhalte, sondern so, wie es
der Papyros gegenüber der Steintafel, die
Druckmaschine im Verhlätnis zur Handschriftenrolle
oder das Radio als ein ganz neues Medium bewirkt
haben.“
Friedrich Krotz. (2001/2). Die Welt im Computer.
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The research
project „Between ‘God Mode‘
and ‘God Mood‘“ is carried
out at the Institute of Science of Religion,
University of Berne. It is funded by the Swiss
National Science Foundation (SNSF). |
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Survey
Online survey
into the religious contents of Anno 1404
and Risen
The two German
questionnaires are online. The survey
has been closed since June, 15th 2011.
The objective of
the survey is the clarification of the following
issues:
1) the social and ludological composition
of the concerning gamer communities;
2) the gamers‘ understanding
of religion;
3) the game components that are
defined as „religious“ by gamers;
4) the meaning of these components
to the informants in the context of the concerning
game.
The survey is available
to any German reading Anno and Risen player.
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Die
Fragebögen sind weiterhin zugänglich,
doch es werden keine Daten mehr aufgezeichnet.
„Starte
den Fragebogen zum Spiel
Anno 1404.“
„Starte den
Fragebogen zum Spiel
Risen.“
I’m interested in the results of the research project and would like to be notified as soon as the results are published
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Thanks
to the Risen and Anno community!
A big thank you for all who participated in the
survey.
Special thanks to
the following operators, administrators and moderators
who helped distributing the survey:
- Ralf
(Fansite Anno 1404)
- Moryarity
(moderator Anno 1404 forum, Ubisoft)
- OnKeLDead
(former moderator Risen forum, Deep Silver)
- Tomigaya
(forum member World of Risen)
- Tim Andersson
(moderator World of Risen)
- meditate
(administrator World of Risen)
- dc2
(administrator World of Anno) |
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