Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Towards Video Game Aesthetics 1
Chapter Overview 10
Chapter One – Literature Review 12
Play and Games 12
Cognitive Activity in Art and Games 14
The Aesthetics of Video Games 17
Video Game Content 26
Subjectification and the Play of Meaning 27
From “Interactive Narratives” to “Cybertexts” 31
Emotion in Video Games: Early Models and Research 37
Frijda's Model of Emotion 39
Conclusion 42
Chapter Two - The Reality-Status Of The Interface 43
Reality-Status and Stages of Audiovisual Processing 43
Perceptual Deviation as a Consequence of Digital Articulation 46
Introjective and Projective Transactions as a Consequence of Enaction and
Enactive Subtraction 52
Conclusion 62
Chapter Three - The Regulation of Interest 64
Hermeneutic Codes in FFX 's Narrative Macrosequences 66
Reinforcement in FFX 's Game Macrosequences 72
Emotion Episodes 78
The (Dys)Regulation of Interest Across Narrative and Game Macrosequences 81
Conclusion 89
Chapter Four – The Unreality of the Narrative 90
Vraisemblance 90
The Marvellous 93
The Uncanny 98
The Fantastic 103
Conclusion 109
Chapter Five – Cognitive Identification and Character Interest 111
Narrative Macrostructures 112
Actantial Model 112
Cognitive Identification: Semic Codes and Types 116
Game Macrostructures 128
Character Classes and Trait-Dependant Character Types 128
Realism in Character Development: Semic Categories 133
Semic Relations in Combat Macrostructures 135
Conclusion 141
Chapter Six – Psychoanalytic Identification 142
From Primary to Partial, Multiple and Transitive Identification(s) 142
Modes of Identification 146
Ideal Ego: The Indestructible Self 147
Ego-Ideals: The Desired and Desirable Self 150
Super-Egos: Shared Prohibitions 156
Conclusion 159
Chapter Seven – Character Empathy 161
Affective Dimensions of Empathy 161
Movement 162
Attractiveness/unattractiveness 165
Vulnerability 167
Facial and other non-verbal expressions 169
Cognitive Dimensions of Empathy 172
Empathetic Emotions and Situational Contexts 175
Happiness and Gratitude 179
Anger and Contempt 181
Fear and Taboos 184
Sadness, and Tragedy 191
Empathetic Emotions, Investment, and Allegiance 197
Conclusion 207
Chapter Eight – Player Empathy 209
Preoperational Egocentrism and its Blocking at the Interface 210
Blocked Egocentrism and its Emotional or Aesthetic Significance 215
Shame, and the Compass of Shame 220
The Transfer and Dynamics of Emotion in Video Game Aesthetics 228
Chapter Nine – Existential and Holistic Gameplay 234
The Existential Experience of Play 234
Towards Holistic Gameplay 241
Conclusion 246
References 248
Appendix One – Key Events in FFX 274
Appendix Two – Breakdown of Opening Sequences of FFX 279
Appendix Three – Hermeneutic Clusters in FFX 282
