1st Edition
Embedding Culture into Video Games and Game Design The Palm, the Dogai and the Tombstone
This book will help game designers and those interested in games thoughtfully embed culture into video games and the game design process.
This book raises the issue of how some cultures and communities are misrepresented in various video games. In response to this problem, designers can bring cultural considerations and practices into the centre focus of the game design process. The book advocates that designers put different measures in place to better prevent misrepresentations and engage with deeper understandings of culture to build culturally richer and more meaningful game worlds. The book uses the Torres Strait Virtual Reality project as a primary example, in addition to other game projects, to explore cultural representation in game design. Torres Strait culture is also explored and discussed more broadly throughout the book. No prior knowledge of culture studies is needed, and the book deals with higher level game design with little reference to the technical elements of game development.
This unique and timely book will appeal to those interested in the implications of cultural depictions in video games and opportunities to generate deeper cultural representations through the game design process.
Prologue: The recent passing of a relative or community member
1. Cultural representations in video games
2. Knowing the context: A Torres Strait perspective
Interlude: Preparing for the Tombstone Opening
3. The palm and the Dogai
4. Culturally centred game design
5. Community participation in game design
Interlude: The Tombstone Opening
6. Cultural immersion, rigorous research and ethics in game design
7. Designing to produce deep representations
Epilogue: Caring for the tombstone site
Biography
Rhett Loban is a Lecturer in the School of Education at Macquarie University. His research interests include culture, game-based learning and virtual reality.
This book is a standout contribution to Indigenous video game development and exemplifies what can happen when Design Research, Indigenous Studies, and Game Studies meet. Rhett Loban cleverly weaves between theory and practice while upholding the Torres Strait community, giving us heartfelt insights and a guide to future related work.
Dr Elizabeth LaPensée, Narrative Director at Twin Suns, International Video Game Studio.
This book is a brilliant and innovative piece of work, beautiful to read, and a project painstakingly consulted and developed, to present a range of processes and cultural practices that have rarely been discussed before in public. It sensitively guides game designers through reciprocal work with community.
Associate Professor Neil Harrison, Associate Professor at Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University, Australia.
Narratives on the Torres Straits Island culture makes the book an intriguing read. The culturally-centred game design captures the cultural connections and representations within the community. Coupled with a methodology which allows for community-participation, the book is engaging and provides the stimulus for discussions on comparative studies.
Associate Professor Dr. Dorothy DeWitt, Associate Professor at Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
