Overview
- Offers a unique history of videogame narratives with a novel focus on the role and functions of wealth
- Pays careful attention to the related, incremental transformations of wealth in videogames that have emerged over time, and to how these changes have echoed major cultural developments in the American scene during the millennial period
- Establishes new paths for considering American culture’s endless fascination with wealth with examples drawn from videogames
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (6 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This book considers representations of wealth and the wealthy in videogames. The introduction explores the estrangement of wealth from everyday life in the contemporary west, and argues that videogames have contributed to modern life by dramatizing the economic anxieties of our age — in particular, those anxieties that relate to the Global Great Recession. A review of historical titles reveals that such and related efforts draw in significant ways from the literary tradition of sentimental romance, where wealth and the wealthy have long been associated with notions of the underworld or hell. The relevance of this tradition to contemporary titles is explored through a careful analysis of romantic themes and concerns with significance to acts of exchange. The Wealth of Virtual Nations will appeal to students with an interest in narrative theory, game design, literature, economics, and the humanities. It will also be of interest to the videogame industry.
Reviews
“Adam Crowley’s book represents an important entry into the growing body of video game criticism. He explores, with erudite precision, how the narrative space of video games can serve as an exploration of wealth and financial transactions. Of special note is Crowley’s careful analysis of several video game titles, each of which he considers with depth and care against his overall scholarly focus. Video games are an important iteration of storytelling and this book serves as a powerful endorsement that they be taken as serious cultural artifacts.” (Amy M. Green, Assistant Professor-in-Residence, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Adam Crowley is Associate Professor of English at Husson University, USA.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Wealth of Virtual Nations
Book Subtitle: Videogame Currencies
Authors: Adam Crowley
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53246-2
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-53245-5Published: 12 April 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-85102-0Published: 29 July 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-53246-2Published: 04 April 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: IX, 110
Topics: Media and Communication, Culture and Technology, Cultural Economics, Popular Culture , American Culture