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Video games are a unique form of media in that they can persuade through interactivity. This thesis examines two categorical modes of video game interactivity, kinesthetic mechanics and non-kinesthetic mechanics, to suggest ways in which kinesthetic mechanics are more persuasive than non-kinesthetic mechanics. Video game mechanics are rules by which the game is played, and kinesthetics refers to non-trivial, time and space sensitive, dexterous inputs. This thesis utilizes methods of discourse analysis and autoethnographic personal narrative to look for five rhetorical methods that are utilized by game developers and experienced by players. This process suggests correlations between developer intention, user community experience, and my own gameplay experience. These rhetorical methods are: immersion and self-presence, kinesthetic resonance, narrative persuasion, affordance and enthymeme, and self-determination theory (SDT) motivation. These rhetorical methods can be found in most contemporary video games and are utilized to get players to engage with a game and elaborate on the themes and messages therein. I hypothesize that each of these methods is more persuasive through kinesthetic mechanics and compare and contrast experiences with a game that has kinesthetic mechanics and a game that has non-kinesthetic mechanics to test my hypotheses. My findings suggest that kinesthetic mechanics can prove to be more persuasive through certain rhetorical methods, however, more data could be helpful particularly where community experience is concerned. I conclude with recommended methods and considerations for future research. / Media Studies & Production / This thesis contains supplemental material that was not uploaded due to copyright restrictions. If you need to access the material, please contact the author directly.

The video game industry is a billion dollar industry with an ever-growing fan base. Massachusetts, along with other states, has begun to take an interest in further developing this dynamic industry. A problem facing many policy makers and economic developers is accurately defining the video game industry, determining the types of workers that form of human capital within its workforce and where these businesses are located. This study helps to solve this problem by converting video game credits, found in all video games, into Standard Occupational Codes to identify the types of workers who comprise the industry and by conducting spatial analysis using Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). It also uses the Occupational Information Network to evaluate what forms of human capital comprises the video game industry. The results show the video game workforce comprises both creative workers such as artists and musicians, but also computer programmers, engineers, and business management and marketing professionals. This workforce tends to be concentrated not only in larger U.S. metropolitan areas but also in regions with a significant high-technology workforce, college towns, and government laboratories. Also, as this diverse workforce contains a wide variety of skills and abilities, a common theme is being able to work together as a team to develop a product. This study is part of a growing body of research and initiatives to identify and to locate new, creative industries within metropolitan regions. This research will contribute to future research using occupational analysis to identify new and growing industries.

This bachelor thesis discusses the way nostalgia correlates with video game music and how the emotion of nostalgia is achieved in the different soundtracks discussed. A large part of the bachelor thesis discusses leitmotifs and their role in video game music when attempting to create a sense of familiarity and an emotionally memorable soundtrack. The study approaches nostalgia from different perspectives to be able to identify what it is exactly in video game music that evokes the emotion.

This paper examines the representation of sex in the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in terms of quest design, narrative, and sex scenes. Examining this topic is relevant to identifying misogynistic tropes in games and finding out where the portrayal of sex might be lacking or even harmful, for designers as well as consumers. The research was conducted through the close reading method, with two researchers playing and analyzing the game. The paper has found a tendency to use sex as a reward for the player. This is done through the quest design, and the framing of the sex scenes, which use and objectify women’s bodies to create an erotic spectacle for the male player. All this constructs a power fantasy for said player through identification with the protagonist, which is encouraged by the framing of cut scenes and the game medium

Many video games use non-playable characters (NPCs) as important plot devices and for supplying the players with a meaningful playing experience. The Mass Effect series is known to have many likeable NPCs in its story, and even though emotional attachment and believable traits of NPCs has been defined, it is not entirely known what likeable NPCs excel in. Therefore, six participants were interviewed to talk about their favourite and least liked NPC and most memorable moment from the series. The results show that well developed AI, an unique personality, character development and free choice to avoid the NPC made them likeable.

Video game adaptations of the classical world are becoming increasingly intricate, and the study of video games as artifacts of classical reception and adaptation is likewise becoming increasingly important for the field of historiography. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, set during the Peloponnesian War, recreates, among other aspects of the Greek world of the period, the political setting of Periklean Athens. This thesis examines instances of Athenian political representation within the game which depart from the typical image of Athens' politics as informed by primary source accounts, knowledge of sociocultural practices, and archaeological finds. It argues that the game depicts the Athenian democracy as a republic with a strong aristocratic element rather than as a direct, participatory democracy. The paper recalls the tradition of reception and adaptation of democracy in political thought and examines some of the resulting attitudes towards democracy. It suggests that the game's depiction of democracy as an oligarchic republic is a result of the developers' passive adoption and repetition of popular theories regarding the form and function of democracy, past and present. Players' likelihood of adopting and perpetuating a misshapen image of democracy is briefly discussed. The conclusion considers the potential for video games to influence players' perceptions of political systems and participation in them and, in light of that capacity, advocates for closer scrutiny of adaptations of the classical world which engage in political representation. It also ponders the possibility of novel interpretations of democracy as the next step in the tradition of democracy's reception and adaptation.

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This study examines whether the single or shared leisure activity of video gaming or a report of it as a problem is negatively related to couple attachment behaviors (accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement). The model suggests that individual frequency of violent video game use, individual frequency of nonviolent video game use, and couple video game use frequency predict negative couple attachment behaviors. In addition, video game playing that is perceived as a problem in the relationship serves as a mediator variable in the model. Data were collected using the Relationship Evaluation questionnaire (RELATE). The sample includes 2,112 couples who reported seriously dating, engagement, or marriage. The measures include assessing couple attachment behaviors and questions assessing video game use rates. Results indicated that male's violent video game use predicted the female's attachment behaviors, while the female's nonviolent video game use predicted the male's attachment behaviors. The male's violent video game use and the female's nonviolent video game use predicted his/her perception and their partner's perception that video games were a problem in the relationship, and their perception predicted less attachment behaviors, which was a fully mediated relationship for both. The female's view that video games were a problem negatively predicted both her and her partner's attachment behaviors, while the male's view only predicted his attachment behaviors. Future research directions and clinical implications for couples are discussed.