The Interplay of Thematic and Ludological Elements in Western-Themed Games

Authors

  • Miikka Junnila Aalto University School of Arts Auteur-e
  • Markku Reunanen Aalto University School of Arts Auteur-e
  • Tero Heikkinen University of Arts in Helsinki Auteur-e

Keywords:

western, game genres, video games, thematization

Abstract

The Wild West has been productized and remediated a number of times over the last hundred of years – and even earlier than that. Computer and video games are a relative newcomer in this string of remediations, distilling the essential elements of the Western even further into archetypal scenes, characters and modes of play. Expanding on our previous works on genres, we study a colorful selection of Western-themed games, 31 in total, with the aim to reveal how a firmly established and codified theme affects gameplay. A well-established theme, such as the Western, manifests itself at very different depths based on the kind of game we are dealing with – at minimum, it acts as an artificial surface that does not affect the gameplay at all. At the other end of the spectrum, the theme affects all the aspects of a game, ranging from its audiovisual presentation to the narrative and the actions available to the player.

Author Biographies

  • Miikka Junnila, Aalto University School of Arts

    Miikka Junnila is the lecturer of game design and head of the Game Design and Production major at Aalto ARTS, Department of Media. He is interested in how narrative theme and game mechanics combine into memorable experiences in games.

  • Markku Reunanen, Aalto University School of Arts

    Markku Reunanen is the lecturer of interactive visualization at Aalto ARTS, Department of Media. His research interests include digital cultural heritage and various branches of digital culture, such as the demoscene and the history of video games. Markku defended his doctoral dissertation, “Times of Change in the Demoscene: A Creative Community and Its Relationship with Technology”, in February 2017.

  • Tero Heikkinen, University of Arts in Helsinki

    Tero Heikkinen is a postdoctoral researcher in the Academy of Fine Arts in the University of the Arts Helsinki. With a background in design, Tero has an interest toward creative digital culture both as a creator and a researcher. He currently studies the uses of media-rich platforms and tools in art research domains.

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Published

2019-05-01

Issue

No. Spécial (2019): Splendeur(s)

Section

Articles

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