'Virtually' American: Representations of generalized American culture in Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2
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2023-07-12
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en
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The present study is an investigation into the presence of manifestations of generalized and oversimplified American culture in video games. As a Transatlantic Studies MA thesis, this study has sought to analyze to what extent generalized and oversimplified renditions of ‘archetypal’ American culture are present within video games. It briefly explains why such generalized representations are relevant within the context of cultural influence and soft power on the international diplomatic stage. In order to analyze aforementioned ‘archetypal’ cultural representations, this thesis uses Ian Bogost’s definition of video games as ‘possibility spaces’ as its foundation. It is a case study of two internationally best-selling video games in particular: Grand Theft Auto V ((GTA V) Rockstar Games, 2013) and Red Dead Redemption 2 ((RDR2) Rockstar Games, 2018). In a format of three chapters, this thesis analyzes visual as well as conceptual representations of ‘archetypal American culture.’ It uses theories concerning social space and urban planning to analyze the visual possibility space of GTA V and theory on cattle town construction in the visual possibility space of RDR2. Subsequently, the study uses writings on individual-oriented consumerism, eighteenth-century American frontier culture and violence in video games as the groundwork for analysis of generalized American cultural manifestations on an ideological and symbolical level. The study found that both of the case studies portray a simplified rendition of certain American cultural aspects to the player, making their respective renditions of culture recognizable and understandable for an international audience.
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