Empire Plays Back: Videogames and Postcolonialism, 2 cr

The course provides a brief introduction to how videogame cultures have often consistently perpetuated the logic of colonialism. From the very earliest games such as The Oregon Trail (1971) to the recent Far Cry 6 (2021), colonialism forms an important part of the games’ procedural rhetoric. It addresses some of the key themes of postcolonial theory such as hybridity, subalternity and the construction of space within the framework of videogame studies thus pointing out how some discourses are marginalised in favour of an imperialist framework. Therefore, this course also examines the complex ways in which some videogames construct conceptions of spatiality, political systems, ethics and society that are often Deeply imbued with colonialism. Moving beyond questions pertaining to the Global North gaming cultures, this course addresses issues relating to a global audience - including, especially, the millions who play videogames in the formerly colonised countries and seeks to make a timely intervention by creating a greater awareness of global cultural issues in videogame research. It is aimed both at those who may be interested in exploring the so-called ‘othered’ perspectives so as to include these diverse and intersectional frameworks in thinking through games research and game design.