For this literature review I read chapter 4 of Dr. Brown’s 2012 PHD thesis ‘The suspension of disbelief in video games’.

Dr. Brown clearly defines the key purpose of the chapter in the opening paragraph:

This chapter intends to observe how video games’ self-referential focusing upon the suspension of disbelief can contribute to our better understanding of the features of that suspension of disbelief which are unique to video games.

He then expands upon this in the following paragraph, intending to show how the use of the ‘fourth wall’ governs the problem of dissonance:

…in moments where games work with their own version of the ‘fourth wall’ are points where dissonances are emphasized to create various kinds of affect including shock, border play and a deepening of the imaginary relations…

Brown is intending to show how the act of video games acknowledging and addressing the player through fourth wall breaking techniques helps us to understand how the specific audience of video games experiences a unique suspension of disbelief, as opposed to the cinema goer, or the reader for example.

Choosing the final chapter to read posed some problems; I was essentially thrown into the conversation near to the end, so confusion flourished as I had to handle ideas and referencing of material previously covered in the preceding chapters. It was also necessary to read through some of the wide range of referenced material to gain a full understanding of the argument, such as Steven Conway’s article on Gamasutra [1] and Huizinga’s classic study [2] of the play-element. Indeed, Brown opens with the final lines from Shakespeare’s Tempest [3], where the famous playwright directly addresses the audience in what is thought to be his final play:

As you from crimes would pardon’d be, Let your indulgence set me free.

This is a play with which I was unfamiliar, so again research into the analysis of the play was needed which revealed an argument that Shakespeare was actually breaking the fourth wall himself here and talking to the audience [4].

Dr. Brown uses qualitative data in the form of both participating and non-participating observations of pertinent examples from video games, as well as analysis of relevant academic documents.

His research data is valid, coming from static sources in an era prior to software updates of video games, ensuring a consistent experience for users regardless of their place in time.

Video games, being an art form, are open to personal interpretation, which stems from personal experiences. As an art form, video games are in a constant state of evolution, therefore at some point in the future, a change in culture coupled with a change in video game approach could lead to an alternative interpretation of the evidence presented as well as Brown’s own conclusions.

Dr. Brown uses a psychological framework to support the basis of his argument, delving heavily into the mind state of the gamer with particular reference to the ‘game-playing role’.

Brown assumes the relationship between theory and practice to be based on a constant, unified approach to video games as experienced by someone of his stature. In reality, this approach will vary somewhat between individuals with less or more exposure to the techniques demonstrated within.

Brown opposes his own point of view of the suspension of disbelief being a separate entity to the lusory attitude and the concept of the magic circle by referencing Conway’s foresight:

Conway’s argument stands in opposition to this. While he recognises the impact of the fourth wall upon the suspension of disbelief, he shows real foresight when claiming

No matter the technique, to break the fourth wall is normally to break the suspension of disbelief, to remind the audience it is just a film, just a television show, just a performance. Yet in video games, the inverse will often apply. As mentioned above, many of these so- called fourth wall breaks actually serve to further immerse the player, extending the immersion beyond the screen, and this is where we find the term “breaking the fourth wall” becomes extremely lacking.

However, he comprehensively contests this theory in three main ways; citing primarily that unsteady foundations which have not dated well in light of modern video games, secondly the issue of the fourth wall not being a wall at all but rather:

…a tissue of allowances made by the gamer

Finally, Brown suggests that the suspension of disbelief is not a constant across differing kinds of media, and that the theory disregards a whole range of illusory and narrative content that goes into the creation of it.

This detailed critical analysis of contrasting ideas gives further credibility to Brown’s own theory, showing he has considered multiple viewpoints before coming to his own conclusions, some of which are very established in the industry.

There is a limitation of this study which cannot be ignored; the nature of the language used may alienate a large proportion of the possible audience. Video games now serve a much broader market than ever before, a growing market comprising of a large percentage of people not accustomed to digesting material written in this manner. I believe the author could maximise the reach of his studies by rewriting his work in a less formal style; indeed the interest in video game design, even just video game analysis, is bigger than ever before.

In terms of the immediate module (Individual design and development) the arguments presented in this chapter lend a great deal to my approach; I am creating a graphical user interface which mimics that of many historical interfaces such as the DOS operating system and VHS recording quality in order to create a certain response in the user, along with a level of immersion.

I need to consider all aspects of this approach in order for it to work as intended. I believe it is fair to assume that the user is fully aware that the presented replication of older technologies is indeed replication and not an authentic experience; this understanding by the user is itself something to develop.

My future plans will focus around controlling food growth from applications; wherein lies a difficult problem: how to overcome the dissonance between slow (30 days) real-time plant growth and in-game time? I fear keeping the user hooked for that initial growth period will be my most difficult challenge, so some techniques discussed here may provide some opportunity for a different approach at audience engagement.

References

  1. Conway, S. A Circular Wall? Reformulating the Fourth Wall for Video Games, Gamasutra, Retrieved February 21, 2018: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132475/.
  2. Huizinga, J (1944, this edition published in 1949, reprinted 1980). Homo Ludens - a study of the play-element in culture. Trowbridge & Esher, England: Redwood Burn Ltd.
  3. Shakespeare, W (1611, reprinted 2018). The Tempest, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
  4. Grunes, D T and Grunes, J M (2014). What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Psychoanalysis: A Local Habitation and a Name. Routledge.