We see video games as this incredible medium to tell stories and we want to treat it as equals to books or comics or TV or movies’ (PlayStation, 2014). As a medium, videogames tell stories, have narrative affect, and can transport players to another world. The critical languages of performance studies, developed since the 1970’s, allow us to understand player experience and why it’s impactful upon the player. The interactive nature of gaming allows for a unique approach to narrative experience due to the physical connection between player and console, the modern controller. Videogame studies research focusing on worldbuilding and level design, or the impact of wireless, motion detecting controllers will be applied in combination with Performance Studies to allow this dissertation to attempt to gain a better understanding of why and how games resonate aesthetically and emotionally with their players.
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