Design practices and transgender agency in video games in independent and mainstream contexts (2005-2022)

独立和主流背景下视频游戏的设计实践和跨性别机构（2005-2022）

• 批准号: 2902441
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Brunel University London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2902441
• 关键词: Design; practices; transgender; agency; video

In the past two decades, trans theory has conceptualised gender identity and bodily autonomy, advocatingfor self-exploration and political affirmation. This focus has been reflected in game studies' interest forvideo games' potential for trans representation. Yet, a thorough, critical investigation of medium-specificfeatures, such as character customisation, embodiment, storytelling, and in-game player agency, is stilllacking. This project fills this gap by addressing design and player agency in independent, trans-affirmativegames Dys4ria (2012), WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THOSE THAT ARE NOT (WAHBOTTAN) (2020), and Tellme Why (2021), vis-à-vis mainstream products sporting similar features, as Nintendo's Miis (2006), TheSims 4 (2016), and Cyberpunk 2077 (2022).Key issues arise. Who owns transgender representations in games, and what is the emancipatory potentialof play as identity exploration? How do medium-specific features support transgender affirmation? Towhat extent are transgender designers able to draw legitimacy and benefit from introducing transgenderthemes? Ultimately, to what extent can video games facilitate the emergence of transgender agency?This project addresses these issues by blending a critical investigation on the medium withautoethnography and player reception studies to analyse the emergence and challenges of trans-affirmative games in the gaming industry. The research focuses on what trans games mean and on whoowns and benefits from them. It focuses on a series of independent, trans-owned games that have beenimpactful for trans players, despite garnering limited success compared to blockbuster products.Independent trans games allow one to analyse relations between trans representation and medium-specific characterisation, body customisation, and agency in interactive storytelling. These are comparedto similar features that appear in mainstream titles, where the introduction of trans themes may qualify asa display of performative equality, part of a hegemonic culture that benefits from the culturalappropriation and the rainbow-washing of trans 'themes'.

在过去的二十年里，跨性别理论已经概念化了性别认同和身体自主权，倡导自我探索和政治肯定，这一点已经体现在游戏研究对电子游戏对跨性别代表性的兴趣进行彻底、批判性的调查中。该项目通过解决独立、跨肯定性游戏 Dys4ria 中的设计和玩家代理问题来填补这一空白。 (2012)、《我们在这里，因为那些不是》(WAHBOTTAN) (2020) 和《告诉我为什么》(2021)，相对于具有类似功能的主流产品，如任天堂的 Miis (2006)、TheSims 4 (2016)和《赛博朋克 2077》(2022)。出现了关键问题。谁在游戏中拥有跨性别代表，以及什么是跨性别代表。游戏作为身份探索的解放潜力？跨性别设计师在多大程度上能够从引入跨性别主题中获得合法性并从中受益？该项目在多大程度上促进了跨性别机构的出现？通过将对媒体的批判性调查与自我民族志和玩家接受研究相结合，分析游戏行业中跨性别游戏的出现和挑战，该研究重点关注跨性别游戏的含义以及谁拥有这些游戏并从中受益。它专注于一系列独立的跨性别游戏，尽管与热门产品相比，它们取得的成功有限，但这些游戏对跨性别玩家产生了影响。独立的跨性别游戏允许人们分析跨性别表征与媒介特定特征、身体定制和跨性别者之间的关系。这些与主流游戏中出现的类似特征进行了比较，在主流游戏中，跨性别主题的引入可能被认为是表演平等的表现，是受益于文化挪用和彩虹清洗的霸权文化的一部分。跨“主题”。