Rethinking agency and immersion: video games as a means of consciousness-raising

Abstract

Until recently, most video-game characters did not reflect our everyday life for the simple reason that most of them were trolls, aliens, and monsters. However, this has changed since the introduction of The Sims (Wright 2000), the people simulator. Nevertheless, characters in this game are still flat since The Sims simulates life in a Disneyland-like way, avoiding ideological conflicts. Encouraged by authors like Brenda Laurel and Janet Murray, video-game designers have been taking for granted that a high level of agency and immersion are desirable effects. However, I will show that alternative, non-Aristotelian techniques could be used to develop character-driven video games that enhance critical thinking about ideological issues and social conflicts while keeping the experience enjoyable. I will do this by borrowing some concepts from Bertolt Brecht's and Augusto Boal's ideas on non-Aristotelian theatre and applying them to video-game design. In this paper, I propose that a modified version of The Sims would allow players to create behavioural rules for their characters that reflect their personal opinions. Like in Boal's Forum Theatre, this game would foster critical discussion about social and personal problems.