Slender Man

Slenderman has become part of the super flat character database and through use of fan-created mythos has been able to traverse various forms of media including youtube videos, independent games and wiki pages. There are a few characteristics necessary for a character, whether protagonist or antagonist to be  "Slender Man" all accepted as truth by the fan-constructed community an mythos. In order to insight fear, shock or alarm by the outside party be it the gamer, viewer or reader; the slender man must tower over humans, be overtly inconspicuous and equally mysterious. His face should be unidentifiable, however extremities may vary. The fan-created mythos would not be possible prior to the emergence of Jenkin's Convergence Culture- connecting mediums of media to one another creating continuity between many appearances of Slender Man, a character evidenced by Murikami's "Earth at my Window" and the idea of a super flat character within a database that can be implemented in many forms of art, driving the narrative rather than being guided by a specific "grand narrative" 

Isaac: Superflattened by Existentialism

The binding of Isaac has elements found in both the superflat theory as explained by murikami's "Earth at my Window" and Existentialism theory as outlined by "A selection from existentialism and human emotions" by jean paul sarte.

In the trial/start of the game the player plays as Isaac after a narrated scene unfolds explaining the situation you (as protagonist) are in. Isaac in fear of being killed by his mother falls down a trapdoor and the game begins. The maps are randomly generated as are monsters and items. Even bosses! This represents the idea of a "character database" im which the protagonist decides the narrative rather than some ominous outside writer of the "grand narrative" this is a concept of superflat evident in the game as there are many possible paths to take, secrets to unlock, items to imbue in your head, and bosses to face off. It all depends on randomly generated sequences and character choice. Which brings me to the next point- the game is very existentialist in nature, relying on the individual's actions and end-meaning of their existence within the game's realm. Where you end up is entirely up to you and there is no way to follow another journey because it remains a unique experience that one person/one character must endure. 

But Thou Must be Time Fcuked!

Video games originating from Japan are notorious for using the trope "But Thou Must" to make it appear as if the game is offering the player choices, although they all lead down the same narrative path. This is evident in many Western games including "Time Fcuk"wherein the beginning you are told by a future version of the main character played, to "get in the box". Immediately I was skeptical and wanted to explore the in-game environment; however was rendered unable to do so when I was pushed into 'the box' without even a dialogue tree or choices which forced me to be able to decide. The creators of the game implied there was a choice then didn't allow for any exploration of options and used a duplicate image of my own character to push me inside! Bastards.
 At any rate, this is a useful technique to drive the narrative and continue push the player through a linear narrative. This is great for specific types of games and should be used by all gaming cultures, however, retaining the core values a culture was founded on is extremely important to the culture and the gamers who have grown up experiencing games a certain way. Time Fcuk is super flat  in that it has no depth to it. The deepest we go is further down 'the box' we must complete each level, listening to our 'future self' without actually knowing if it truly is ourselves or if we are being fooled. Our character doesn't scream in any of the subsequent rooms however, does grow a friend that is foreshadowed by the future self. The super flat concept has moved to the west as all things are in our day and age through technological advances and the internet database. The database of which super flat characters are pulled is not a physical one but one located within the grand database available to all cultures and continents. Therefore, yes, super flat has spread to the west; however what's to say narratives allowing player choice or ones that follow a grand narrative won't spread to the east or already have not begun to re-emerge?

~Andrew A.
~Gallant Gamer

Politics & Pop

The parody and opinions of politics has seeped down through mainstream culture and into the technological infrastructure. Shows such as 'the apprentince' use the well-known mainstream concept of being fired from a job; where conscious groups use the show to relate to the impeachment of the president for a job not well done. The ability for the people to discuss, parody and poke fun at politics has given us the power of voice.

Abstract

                Protagonists in video games represented as ‘blank-slate’ characters allow for games to appeal to larger audiences by offering a flat, hero character that enters new realms, completes quests driven by a narrative that loosely follows the structure of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. These characters become heroes and have a quest or quests to complete before the game ends.  Two popular examples would be The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon games series; they each feature a protagonist who has no definite features from game to game, doesn’t speak at all, and can be named by the player. The character’s personal narratives seem to be driven by the story to become heroes and there is nearly the same amount of deviation possible for both protagonist characters within the quest and the characters story and what the gamer can or can’t do. Everything is pre-scripted for play, and (in these examples) driven by well-written narrative in creative environments, where the player gets to ‘fill-in the blanks’ left by the developers in creation of the characters. A hero tale that is ambiguous is a relatable one.







Edit 12:07AM This is a rough draft. I did not recieve an e-mail with information regarding this assignment. Just wanted to turn something in by 12, that basically encompasses what I plan to research.

Story Value and Male Beauty

Beauty (Re)Discovers the Male Body by Susan Bordo: http://wendtenglish201f10.wikispaces.com/file/view/Wendt.Beauty+(Re)discovers+the+Male+Body1.pdf

Bordo addresses how advertisements in all forms of media not only effect fashion trends, but psychological thought processes regarding the roles of gender, race and culture. These ads not only express a certain perspective on the roles various categories should play, but perpetuate already in place stereotypes. One very interesting reality Bordo highlited was the role within clothing advertisements genders play: "Men act and women appear" (Bordo 191) Men act as they are unconscious of a camera because they are actively engaging in various 'manly' tasks; whereas, women appear on display, enthused by the obvious stares of men and women visible in the commercial or at home watching from their sofas.

“No Redeeming Value” by Extra Credits: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/no-redeeming-value

To begin with, I have never played the God of War series other than a demo of the first game. With that being said, the Extra Credits team presented very valid points that not only concern the series but the whole of video games as works of art. Where the game succeeds in characterizing the protagonist without dialogue, inner thought or backstory; it fails to provide a story with  themes that relate and foreshadow to other themese present in the narrative. If games are to be held in high esteem with the 'fine arts' of literature and theatre, they must have strong narratives that provoke the audience of gamers to think. Art is mereley expression until it is interpreted, and with nothing to express other than rage, hate, and angst with no base; the art never comes to fruition.

Articles to Research

Some articles to use as a starting point, reference and citation for my research paper on the game "Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker"

Monomyth of zelda, link and the hero's journey
http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/the-monomyth-of-zelda-link-and-the-heros-journey-part-1-long-good-read.187200254/

How does link's journey relate to the monomyth? How does it stray? How is it different in that Link has a blank slate as a character in each release of "The Legend of Zelda?"

Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away'
http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol8No2/boydShinto.htm

Unusual or "superior" manifestations of this generative, vital power, called kami, can be experienced as possessing an awesome presence and potency.
However, to experience the kami presence of any one of these aspects of nature requires an aesthetically pure and cheerful heart/mind (kokoro), an emotional, mental and volitional condition that is not easily attained.

Characters in Computer Games: Toward Understanding Interpretation and Design

http://www.digra.org/dl/db/05087.10012.pdf

Understanding the use of characters in game design to shape the gaming experience.