Who hearkens to the monster’s scream? Death, violence and the veil of the monstrous in video games

Kocurek, Carly A.

doi:10.1080/1472586x.2015.996402

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Thus, first shot bias toward POCs was examined more directly. Finally, the alien in the horror game was dehumanized and the violence, both against the alien in the horror game and against the armed men in the shooter game, might have been seen as justified by the participants, limiting first shot bias (Kocurek, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horror Videogame Sound Effects, Cardiovascular Arousal, and Ethnic Bias in the Decision to Shoot

Ballard

Spencer

Holtkamp

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Psychology

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This study used a survival horror videogame to examine the impact of scary sound effects on cardiovascular and affective arousal and determine whether differences in cardiovascular arousal increased bias in shooting people of color (POCs) first in a shooter task. We expected that participants who played the horror videogame with scary sound effects would have higher cardiovascular arousal and fear than those who played without sound effects. We also expected that increased cardiovascular arousal would increase the likelihood of shooting a POC first (first shot bias) later in a shooter game. The hypothesis that playing the survival horror videogame with scary sound effects would result in higher cardiovascular arousal was supported. First shot bias was not correlated with cardiovascular arousal. However, first shot bias was significantly and positively correlated with enjoyment of the shooter game. A post hoc, exploratory analysis indicated that participants in the scary sound effects condition were significantly more likely to shoot a POC first in the shooter task than those in the no sound effects condition when enjoyment of the shooter game was used as a covariate but not when the covariate was not included. However, this effect was small.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horror Videogame Sound Effects, Cardiovascular Arousal, and Ethnic Bias in the Decision to Shoot

Ballard

Spencer

Holtkamp

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Psychology

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show abstract

“…Moreover, following the tenets of cultivation analysis, Carly Kocurek (2015) has done some of this work in relation to horror video games. Kocurek observes that many horror video game representations, compellingly heightened in their ideological effects by participatory play according to Kocurek, are broadly dehumanizing.…”

Section: The Socio-political Implications Of Vr and ‘Reactionary’ Hor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Doors of Perception: Horror Video Games and the Ideological Implications of Ludic Virtual Reality

Christopher

Leuszler

2022

Games and Culture

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With the ‘perfect marriage’ between horror and video games has come a concomitant cultural studies discourse surrounding these games. Previously, while Carol Clover insisted that identification through the perspectival screen is poorly understood, she seminally argued that slasher horror in particular allows for more progressive gender identifications. More broadly, and somewhat conversely, Carly Kocurek observes the most reactionary effects of the horror genre’s reduction of cultural ‘others’ to monsters and the problem with their prurient dispatch in video games. Lastly, Tammy Lin argues that the experience of virtual reality (VR) significantly heightens the experience of horror. In concert, these imply that VR should heighten the ideological effects and gender identifications identified by both Kocurek and Clover, for better or for worse. This paper examines the ways in which both ostensibly reactionary and progressive ideological elements have migrated into horror video games and the implications of VR on this phenomenon.

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“…In game studies, scholars have not only explored how death is constructed and experienced inside game spaces (Allison et al, 2015;Klastrup, 2007Klastrup, , 2008Kocurek, 2015), they have also examined the real-life rituals and grieving practices that surround both in-game and real-life player death through shared social and communal experiences (Andrew, 2014;Gibbs, Carter, & Mori, 2016;Gibson, 2019;Servais, 2015). This is echoed in similar digital media studies research from Lingel (2013) that viewed the interaction between identity and community through social media practices of online grief.…”

Section: Death In Gamesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phillips' (2018Phillips' ( , 2020 recent work into video game death and mechropolitics (i.e., the political and real-world resonances of death and dying) explores the operation and implications of video game death in a wider cultural milieu. Although researchers have explored notions of meaningful death in digital game contexts (e.g., Allison et al, 2015;Carter, 2022;Carter, Gibbs, & Wadley, 2013;Gibson, 2019;Klastrup, 2007;Kocurek, 2015;Lingel, 2013), further attention must be directed towards their non-digital counterparts (Rousse, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pivotal Play: Rethinking Meaningful Play in Games Through Death inDungeons & Dragons

Sidhu

Carter

2021

Games and Culture

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In game studies, meaningful play is commonly discussed and situated through Salen and Zimmerman’s (2004) definition describing it as the integrated and discernible relationship between player actions and system outcomes within the context of the game. However, this overlooks other ways that play can be meaningful. Based on observation and interviews with 20 Australian players, this article examines experiences with death in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). In the context of meaningful play ( Salen & Zimmerman, 2004 ) and positive negative experiences ( Hopeametsä, 2008 ), we discuss (1) the impact of shared physical and social realities on death in D&D, (2) the design of death in D&D, and (3) how death in D&D shapes the future play and lives of players. From this, we argue that play can have meaning that transcends game boundaries, subsequently proposing the concept of “ pivotal play” to describe appealing, memorable, and transformative play experiences.

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Who hearkens to the monster’s scream? Death, violence and the veil of the monstrous in video games

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Horror Videogame Sound Effects, Cardiovascular Arousal, and Ethnic Bias in the Decision to Shoot

Horror Videogame Sound Effects, Cardiovascular Arousal, and Ethnic Bias in the Decision to Shoot

The Doors of Perception: Horror Video Games and the Ideological Implications of Ludic Virtual Reality

Pivotal Play: Rethinking Meaningful Play in Games Through Death inDungeons & Dragons

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