Introduction
This week we got some advice on how to write introductions and conclusions. Whereas the introduction should define the research topic and inform the reader the purpose of the critical report, the conclusion is supposed to describe the outcomes of the research.
Another topic we talked about was the literature review, which should present the sources and also the concepts we are going to critically analyze in our research.
Since I have already chosen the academic papers and bibliography list I would like to explore on my report, I can now start working in my literature review.
Literature Review
What follows next is a brief description of the concepts I am going to analyze in my literature report.
- Performative Gender: In her studies of gender and performative acts Butler (1988, p. 523) states that gender is not predetermined and it can be perceived as the reflection of cultural and sociological traits.
- Action Heroine: In his studies of gender Brown (1996, p. 53) argues that the female character can be defined as the action heroine when she has an active role. However, when they fight alongside men this can be interpreted by some critics as a gender transvestite.
- Affective Involvement: In his studies of digital game involvement Calleja (2011, p. 135) explains that the player can get an emotional engagement with the character due to the absorbing nature of games.
- Purpose of Story: In his studies of game writing Bateman (2021, pp. 6-7) describes there are three techniques to create a connection between the character and the player: immersion, reward and identification. The first one is linked to how the fictional game setting becomes the new reality of the player. The second technique is related to how the player is awarded after overcoming challenges and achieving in-game goals, which should motivate him to keep on playing. The third one has to do with how the player identifies himself with the game protagonist.
- Identification: In her studies of sexuality and gender in the gaming field Shaw (2015, pp. 72-73) argues that players can establish two types of connections with the game character. The first one is linked to the physical aspects and the second one to the emotional one.
Reference List
· Bateman, C. (2021) Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury.
· Brown, J. (1996) Gender and the Action Heroine: Hardbodies and the “Point of No Return”. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022)
· Butler, J. (1988) Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022).
· Calleja, G. (2011) In-Game from immersion to incorporation. London: The MIT Press
· Shaw, A. (2015) Gaming at the Edge. Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. London: University of Minnesota Press