The Underrealized Ecocritical Potential of ABZÛ
First author: Trépanier-JobinYear: 2024
Abstract
In recent years, diving ecogames have become an increasingly popular video game subgenre that seems to hold out the promise of raising awareness about environmental issues. In this chapter, a content analysis of the diving video game ABZÛ highlights its ecocritical potential despite its hints of speciesism, orientalism, and techno-solutionism. A reception study of the game, based on 2,421 comments published on fourteen platforms, however, shows that only fifty-six players mention its environmentalist message. Nevertheless, most of these commenters do pick up on the ecocritical potential of ABZÛ, sharing their thoughts with other players. Online forums therefore appear as discussion spaces where collective ecological awareness can develop.Details
Language: EnglishCountry of affiliation: Canada
Published in: Ecogames: Playful Perspectives on the Climate Crisis
Publication type: Book chapter
Source: https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.10819591.17
Games
No Results
Franchises
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Studies
Description: Content analysis on 2,421 player comments published on forums and social media, of which 56 posts noted the game''s environmental message
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: Online comments
Sample size: 56
Power analysis: no
Sample countries: null
Games studied: Abzû
Franchises studied: null
Study outcomes: Reflecting ecological issues