TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Selective realism: filtering experiences of war and violence in first- and third-person shooters
JO  - Games and culture
A1  - Pötzsch, Holger
SP  - 156
EP  - 178
VL  - 12
IS  - 2
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 1555-4120
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1555412015587802
ID  - ref1
ER  -