Japanese Culture Through Videogames: Games as Texts and Discursive Practice | SOAS

Japanese Culture Through Videogames: Games as Texts and Discursive Practice was recorded on the 2nd of December 2020 with speaker Rachael Hutchinson (University of Delaware). Find out more at: http://bit.ly/2VXVJkb

In her newest book, Japanese Culture Through Videogames, Rachael Hutchinson explores videogames as a window into the Japanese worldview. This talk will focus on the cultural content of globally popular games such as SoulCalibur, Final Fantasy, and Metal Gear Solid. Delving into character design, background setting and environment, aesthetic style, thematic content, and games dynamics and goals, Hutchinson points to ways in which Japanese role-playing games serve as popular entertainment narratives that tackle big issues like social anxiety, absentee parents, nuclear power, and war memory. Video games are not only texts with aesthetic value, but may also be read as part of contemporary discourse, while gameplay itself can be understood as discursive practice.