From Aesthetics to Asymmetry: Contradictions of Ecological Play in Cities: Skylines
First author: MayYear: 2023
Abstract
Anchored in the Anthropocene era’s paradigm of human mastery over nature, Cities: Skylines grants its players extensive agency to shape untouched terrains into sprawling cities. We draw upon “ecological thought”—a mode of awareness that highlights the radical interconnectedness of all beings and their environments—to consider the ecological dynamics of city-building by the game’s players. Analyzing player-generated paratexts from online game communities reveals that while many players aspire toward ecocentric city designs, they instead inadvertently restage the asymmetric planetary relationship emblematic of our current era. Our analysis uncovers the capital-driven assumptions that characterize human–environment relations in the game. Attempts at ecocentric aesthetics invariably subsumed by cybernetic interactions that privilege the Anthropocene’s prevailing power dynamics. These expressions highlight the inherent contradictions of the Anthropocene era as encountered in Cities: Skylines and illustrate the permeability between the contemporary material world and digital play.Details
Language: EnglishCountry of affiliation: New Zealand
Published in: Games and Culture
Publication type: Journal article
Source: https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231219729
Games
No Results
Franchises
No Results
Studies
Description: Content analysis to assess paratexts for how players engage with ecological play
Research type: Non-experimental
Data type: Qualitative
Comparator: none
Control group: no
Pilot study: no
Pre/post measures used: no
Follow-up: no
Sample type: Paratexts
Sample size: null
Power analysis: no
Sample countries: null
Games studied: Cities: Skylines
Franchises studied: Cities: Skylines (F)
Study outcomes: Ingame interactions