It’s been a while, so I took some time this week to update the research and writing sections of my website. Although my overall pace has slowed a bit this year due to obvious reasons, I have been slowly pumping out work for the ongoing Class and Games research project I’m part of alongside a number of cool and talented people.
I already posted about All in a Day’s Work: Working-Class Heroes as Videogame Protagonists, a journal article for the Nordicom Review, but I thought I’d shine a spotlight on some progress writing I’ve been doing for the project. Over the past year or so I’ve written a number of short blog posts to share research findings and spark ideas for longer-form pieces. I’ve listed them below, with short summaries, but a continually updated list can always been found in the writing section of this website.
Nova Alea and Gentrification in Games
A reflection on how gentrification is presented in digital games, with a focus on Molleindustria’s Nova Alea (2016) and its abstract presentation of the socioeconomic phenomenon.
Of Rats and Revolution
A brief analysis of the revolutionary narrative and gameplay in Tooth and Tail (2017), particularly how it represents conflict between weak and strong factions.
Dismantling Capitalism II
A follow-up to a prior post by Mia Consalvo, this article scrutinizes Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (1997) as a revolutionary game that requires players to dismantle the machinery of their oppression.
The Firefighter’s Arsenal
A precursor to All in a Day’s Work, this post presents a brief analysis of how a firefighter’s tools are presented in digital games (often as weapons), using The Firemen (1994) and Real Heroes: Firefighter (2009) as key examples.
