Fabulae Ludendae: An Empathic Analysis of the Videogame Narrative
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2021-04-12
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en
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Fabulae Ludendae, “stories that must be played”, analyzes the videogame narrative from an empathic perspective. As the videogame industry steadily grows, there is still some uncertainty about whether videogames should be considered as ludic or narrative. This Master’s thesis argues that videogames are cultural artefacts that tell stories, through which gameplay is made meaningful.
By means of a theoretical framework adapted from empathy studies and narratology, Fabulae Ludendae illustrates that videogames function on the same narratological premises as stories do, i.e., by causally linking separate actions. This story, then, creates the sentiments of immersion and interactivity, chiefly by collapsing player and avatar goals through (empathic) identification. By considering notions such as inter(re)activity, empathy/apathy, sympathy/antipathy, immersion and worldbuilding, Fabulae Ludendae concludes with five story archetypes that elicit empathy and thereby attention from its players, that moreover all ask for the same input: (inter)action.
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