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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 6
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.106.14911.
Vindigni, G. (2023). Decoding Cultural Affinity in Video Games: An Examination of Narrative Expression, Visual Aesthetics, and
Interactive Design in The Digital Era. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6). 290-305.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Decoding Cultural Affinity in Video Games: An Examination of
Narrative Expression, Visual Aesthetics, and Interactive Design in
The Digital Era
Giovanni Vindigni
DIPLOMA Hochschule,
University of Applied Sciences,
Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
ABSTRACT
Academic discourse and studies have investigated the interplay between video
games and cultural heritage, concerning how cultural values link digital
transformations with traditional narratives in the form of a convergent structure
[1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6]. According to Champion [1], Borowiecki and Prieto-Rodriguez [6],
video gaming is a contemporary digital medium that amplifies the expression of
storytelling and allows users to serve as both drama performers and audience
members. In addition, video games reflect the cultural aspects of society through
visual aesthetics, where architectural features, the cutting-edge culture of video
game casts, and iconographic landscapes depict the elements of contemporary art
[7]. Game theory is a theoretical framework that helps study the cooperation and
conflict among diverse agents identified as players representing different cultural
aspects [8; 9; 10]. Conversely, Warmelinks' [11] online game interactivity theory
will aid in addressing how different designs and interactivity aspects of players,
games, and the computer reflect cultural affinity in video games [12; 13; 14]. This
article conducts a theory- and investigator-triangulation survey of cultural affinity
in video games by addressing the polysemous aspects with regard to theoretical
discourse. The article will also focus on the question of whether, in the view of
international system-theoretical discourse in the social engineering context,
contextual factors that may be falsified abductively are present, thereby leading to
negative connotations. Lastly, the article will explain the product-specific status of
the video game industry and the video game product as captured in both academic
discourse and practise.
Keywords: Games, Cultural Affinity, Video Games, Serious Games, Narrative Expression,
Visual Aesthetics, Interactive Design, Digital Era, Cultural Heritage, Contemporary Art,
System-theoretical Discourse, Iconographic Landscapes, Game Theory, Transmedia,
Social Engineering, Game Studies.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Video games have become a vital hub of cultural and social participation because they portray
different cultural identities as players adopt specific fictional characters [15; 16; 17; 18; 19]. To
better comprehend the cultural affinity of video games, this article applies knowledge of game
theory and Warmelink's [11] and Friedel’s [12] online game interactivity theories. First, game
theory suggests that players are in competition (non-cooperative) and act independently,
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Vindigni, G. (2023). Decoding Cultural Affinity in Video Games: An Examination of Narrative Expression, Visual Aesthetics, and Interactive Design in
The Digital Era. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6). 290-305.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.106.14911
reflecting individualism, and every player devises their strategy to accumulate more benefits
[8; 15; 20; 21; 22]. Conversely, the game theory also holds that players sometimes form
cooperative groups to enhance their performance in competitive coalition games, thereby
depicting the collectivist cultural implications [8; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27]. During game play, players
can exploit various cooperation opportunities by deciding whether to cooperate or oppose in
the sense of the Community-of-Practise (CoP) Approach [28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33]. In this context,
Perc et al. [34] emphasise that game theory allows investigators to develop models that
integrate learning and social interactions to contribute to cultural evolution and exchange [35;
36; 37; 38; 39; 40].
Second, Friedl’s [12] online game interactivity theory (OGIT) suggests that online multiplayer
games incorporate cultural aspects in their various design characteristics and interactivity or
interactive issues [41; 42; 43; 44]. The OGIT addresses cultural affinity through interactivity on
various levels, including player-game, player-player, and player-computer interactions, thus
increasing the understanding of interactive cultural issues integrated into the video game [12;
45; 46; 47; 48]. In OGIT, the player-game interactions help to explain the overall (cultural)
dimensions between the game and players [12; 45; 46; 47; 48]. These player-game interactions
influence the player to recognise the cultural environment visually and derive meaningful
experiences after manipulating this environment through different individual choices, even
when encountering the same challenge in a video game [49; 50; 51].
Third, Bandura's [52] social learning theory (SLT) indicates that learning transpires via digital
media, like video games, where observation informs players' behaviour. In the SLT context,
players interact with the environment, in this case, the cultural aspects of video games, and
acquire new behaviours through observing and imitating another character [52; 53; 54; 55; 56].
Therefore, SLT will be applied in this article to provide a comprehensive understanding of how
various experiences with cultural aspects and appropriation of video game products are
captured in academic discourse and practise [52; 56; 57; 58].
CULTURAL AFFINITY IN VIDEO GAMES
Exploring Cultural Affinity in Video Gaming: Shared Origins, Affinity Spaces, and
Cooperative Competition
Cultural affinity describes a situation where individuals feel more connected to, are attracted
to, and associate with media that portrays, showcases, or aligns with consumer culture [59; 61;
62; 63; 64; 65]. The cultural affinity between the game and the player indicates that both have
a shared cultural origin; players usually realise and orient towards shared sociocultural
practises and endeavours as they continue playing video games [56; 62; 63]. Wu's [65]
investigation of the cultural affinity in the Minecraft video game revealed that game designs and
artefacts shared in affinity spaces concentrate on new themes, opinions, and add-ons to the
game. Borrowing from game theory’s non-cooperative cooperative competition arguments,
players interacting in affinity spaces by criticising the cultural artefacts produced by others and
generating their own artefacts is a vital aspect of video games like Minecraft [8; 52; 56; 65]. In
another recent investigative study on video game affinity spaces, Beutelspacher and Henkel
[66] found that players use information sources outside the video game and need to manage
communication with others and deal with various amounts of data. Beutelspacher and Henkel’s
[66] findings are congruent with the game theoretical discourse of cooperative players who
participate in cultural affinity spaces as they interact with other players [29; 56; 65; 67; 68]. In
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 6, June-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
this regard, players identify with video games' affinity spaces, which are characterised by
shared cultural resources and provide communicative and interactive features that foster
cultural participation [56; 65; 66; 67].
The Dark Side of Cultural Affinity in Video Games: Negative Connotations and the
Consequences of Violent Exposure
Cultural affinity in video games can be abductively falsified, leading to negative connotations.
Borowiecki and Prieto-Rodriguez [2] noted that cultural participation in video games can be
influenced by the cultural activity depicted in the game. For instance, players interested in
culture may not participate in cultural activity in video games due to different constraints [2;
56; 68; 69; 70; 71; 72]. In this cultural affinity, spaces are associated with negative connotations
associated with individualistic culture and video game exposure [74; 75]. These negative
connotations result in a reduced cultural affinity between the player and the video game, as
evidenced by the increasing consumption and learning of new, sometimes violent, behaviours
that have increased mass shootings instigated by adolescent and young adult players [73; 74].
From the game theory perspective, these negative connotations reflect the non-cooperative
competition that results in decreased cultural affinity due to excessive use of or exposure to
violent video games [2; 74]. Furthermore, Greitemeyer et al.’s [75] findings that violent video
exposure increases interpersonal-affective deficits imply that cultural aspects could be falsified
to align with the individualistic (or nonconforming) culture portrayed in video games [74; 77;
78]. Therefore, such adverse behaviour and other negative connotations are pronounced
depending on the player's duration and frequency of exposure to video games [79; 80; 81].
Instead of increasing cultural affinity, these connotations result in cultural appropriation or
adoption of new cultural ideas and practises [56; 69; 70; 71; 72; 82; 83; 84; 85].
Video Game Affinity Spaces: Fostering Inclusivity and Cultural Heritage Through Player- Game Interactions and Roleplaying Mechanisms
On the contrary, Weststar and Legault [86] found that video gaming affinity spaces are
characterised by practises and value systems that reinforce exclusivity or inclusivity
(collectivism). From the OGIT perspective, cultural aspects and features in video game designs
foster interactivity like relationship-building in interest-driven affinity spaces that support
inclusivity or collective practise [12; 87]. Based on the OGIT’s player-game interaction
perspective, one can argue that cultural affinity involves the player visually recognising and
associating with the cultural environment depicted in specific video games [87; 88; 89; 90; 91].
Romero et al. [92] note that video games usually leverage cultural affinity spaces by mediating
cultural aspects for the players and facilitating the players' interactions and, sometimes, the
formation of cultural heritage through various game mechanics, primarily via roleplaying [93;
94; 95]. Furthermore, player-game interactions reinforce cultural affinity spaces through
roleplaying in video games because players get exposed to cultural heritage reflected in
immersive, interactive, and captivating storytelling [94; 95; 97; 98]. As a result, player-game
interactions tend to benefit the players by improving their cultural skills and knowledge
through their participation in video games’ affinity spaces. These player-game interactions are
fueled by a multi-step flow of information in multiplayer video games’ affinity spaces, where
players communicate and interact [99; 100; 101; 102]. The multi-step communication assists
players in establishing cultural affinity in video games to coordinate and enhance information
sharing among users [29; 56; 103; 104].