Navigating through the Tempest: Climate Change Simulations in Action Role-Playing Games
Abstract:
This study employs critical technocultural discourse analysis on 14 Action Role-Playing Games (ARPGs) to explore their climate simulation. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the Gaming Spatial Triad, we conceptualize game-mediated climate change simulation through three interrelated spaces: conceived space exerts discursive control over climate knowledge via authoritative prescription; perceived space represents the climate crisis through trans-media and intertextual storytelling; lived space outsources the meaning-making process to player-generated content. Within this process, we identify two forms of reductionism: one attributes climate disasters to authoritarian forces, overlooking the issues caused by systemic inequalities; the other portrays climate saviors as heroic individuals embodying universal values, thereby ignoring more collective and decentralized modes of climate action. These reductive tendencies are closely tied to the capitalist mode of game production, which prioritizes market appeal, cost control, and entertainment value. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic about the potential of game-mediated climate communication, highlighting the possible roles of player practices, market regulation, and policy intervention in fostering more responsible climate communication.
This study employs critical technocultural discourse analysis on 14 Action Role-Playing Games (ARPGs) to explore their climate simulation. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the Gaming Spatial Triad, we conceptualize game-mediated climate change simulation through three interrelated spaces: conceived space exerts discursive control over climate knowledge via authoritative prescription; perceived space represents the climate crisis through trans-media and intertextual storytelling; lived space outsources the meaning-making process to player-generated content. Within this process, we identify two forms of reductionism: one attributes climate disasters to authoritarian forces, overlooking the issues caused by systemic inequalities; the other portrays climate saviors as heroic individuals embodying universal values, thereby ignoring more collective and decentralized modes of climate action. These reductive tendencies are closely tied to the capitalist mode of game production, which prioritizes market appeal, cost control, and entertainment value. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic about the potential of game-mediated climate communication, highlighting the possible roles of player practices, market regulation, and policy intervention in fostering more responsible climate communication.