@article{ref1,
title="Selective realism: filtering experiences of war and violence in first- and third-person shooters",
journal="Games and culture",
year="2017",
author="Pötzsch, Holger",
volume="12",
number="2",
pages="156-178",
abstract="The present article develops the concept of selective realism to understand how design features and narrative frames of first- and third-person shooters (F/TPS) exclude attention to salient, yet unpleasant, features of warfare such as problematic forms of violence, long-term psychological impacts, or sociopolitical blowbacks. Identifying four specific filters that frame player experiences, I argue that the resulting selectivity is significant because it is characteristic of the F/TPS genre as a whole that, through its wide dissemination, impacts upon the cultural framing of actual warfare. The article illustrates features of selective realism before it conducts in-depth analysis of the titles Spec Ops: The Line and The Last of Us to show how critical game design can invite a conscious unraveling of the generic frames and the ideological positions these invite. The article concludes with a reassessment of arguments regarding alleged sociopolitical impacts of war- and violence-themed computer games.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1555-4120",
doi="10.1177/1555412015587802",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1555412015587802"
}