Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication
The article discusses selected aspects of the 2020 game Tell Me Why, focusing on particular gamep... more The article discusses selected aspects of the 2020 game Tell Me Why, focusing on particular gameplay mechanics pertaining to player choices and the manner in which they influence player emotions, as well as on the representation of trans experience in the game. The authors draw both on affect theory and on approaches derived from game studies concerning the presence of emotions in gameplay. In the final part of the text, trans representation in Tell Me Why is analysed and juxtaposed with the readings typically found in the game’s reviews.
This article identifies and examines a couple of selected issues regarding speculative digital ga... more This article identifies and examines a couple of selected issues regarding speculative digital games which endeavor to deal with serious subject matter. Due to the fact that speculative games are exceptionally well suited for symbolic representation of sensitive topics, they allow their creators to conceive ambitious projects that aspire to be great works of audiovisual art. However, because game texts belong to a very specific medium, it is not always possible to realize this ambition in the context of gameplay. For reasons of space and focus this article uses one particular game, The Medium (2021), to serve as the primary example of how the problems which occur in the process of combining specific, engaging gameplay with serious, sensitive subject matter, lead to situations in which a game can fail to fulfill the player’s expectations. By analyzing the structure, gameplay, and storytelling tools employed in The Medium, the article places emphasis on the significance of the possibl...
Podstawowym celem artykułu było wprowadzenie spostrzeżeń i refleksji Davida Toopa, jak również pr... more Podstawowym celem artykułu było wprowadzenie spostrzeżeń i refleksji Davida Toopa, jak również proponowanych przez niego podejść analitycznych, do polskich badań kulturoznawczych oraz literaturoznawczych; mimo iż Toop i jego prace są jednym z głównych punktów odniesienia dla sound studies, jego twórczość pozostaje w dużej mierze nieopisana w polskiej literaturze akademickiej. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia zarys charakteru dzieł i rozważań Toopa, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem jego najważniejszych książek, jak również demonstruje zastosowanie jego refleksji i narzędzi analitycznych w kontekście literaturoznawczym, a konkretnie w kontekście badań nad fantastyką grozy
Horror fiction plays an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary world, being int... more Horror fiction plays an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary world, being integral to the popular culture in many modern societies. This chapter compares and contrasts the structure and characteristics of horror narratives from two distinct cultures—American and Japanese—with a focus on the mechanisms that make them successful, and on their culturally-specific aspects. The aim of this work is to shed light on the differences and similarities in the depiction of fear and horror in American and Japanese realities, while at the same time emphasizing narrative patterns in the context of their respective cultures
The paper considers selected aspects of the phenomenon of Internet memes. Beginning with a succin... more The paper considers selected aspects of the phenomenon of Internet memes. Beginning with a succinct origins of the term “meme” and its current functions in the Internet environment, the paper introduces various definitions of the term, constructed by academic scholars and Internet users alike. The primary focus is on the way in which memes operate within our culture, as well as on the life-cycle of memes and the manner in which memes migrate from one kind of media into other. The paper also discusses the phenomenon of memes crossing the boundaries between the virtual reality of the Internet and the physical reality of Internet users. All those matters are illustrated by concrete examples
Katarzyna Marak's chapter focuses on the manner in which performative play-paratextual Let... more Katarzyna Marak's chapter focuses on the manner in which performative play-paratextual Let's Play videos-can contribute to a better understanding of digital games in scholarly research and attempts at close reading of the given game text. Using selected examples, the paper demonstrates how a scholar, using Let's Plays, can expand their knowledge concerning possible gameplay experiences of other players, as well as explore the relevant cultural and linguistic limitations of the analyzed game.
This book is devoted to emotional and narrative immersion in the experience of gameplay. The focu... more This book is devoted to emotional and narrative immersion in the experience of gameplay. The focus of our research is the complex interplay between the story and mechanics in digital games. Our goal is to demonstrate how the narrative and the ludic elements together can form unique player experiences. The volume is a collection of case studies involving close reading of selected independent titles, with focus placed on the themes, motifs and experimental approaches to gameplay present therein.
Horror fiction is an important part of the popular culture in many modern societies. This book co... more Horror fiction is an important part of the popular culture in many modern societies. This book compares and contrasts horror narratives from two distinct cultures--American and Japanese--with a focus on the characteristic mechanisms that make them successful, and on their culturally-specific aspects. Including a number of narratives belonging to film, literature, comics and video games, this book provides a comprehensive perspective of the genre. This book sheds light on the differences and similarities in the depiction of fear and horror in America and Japan, while emphasizing narrative patterns in the context of their respective cultures.
This paper concerns Internet user narratives concer ning the 2000 film adaptation of Junji Itō’s ... more This paper concerns Internet user narratives concer ning the 2000 film adaptation of Junji Itō’s manga, Uzumaki , of the same title and their characteristic traits . The focus are the individual testimonies of Interne t users who make up the nonJapanese, English-speaking audience of the film, an d the image of reception of it that they paint. A closer analysis of narratives about Uzumaki reveals a variety of ideas and attitudes regarding not only Japanese popular culture, but cinema and adaptations in general as well as specific patt erns of response—including the technical aspects of the film text and more com prehensive cultural nuances.
W szerokim wachlarzu cyfrowych narzędzi i możliwości, które pojawiły się wraz z Internetem w życi... more W szerokim wachlarzu cyfrowych narzędzi i możliwości, które pojawiły się wraz z Internetem w życiu odbiorców najróżniejszych tekstów, na szczególną uwagę z punktu widzenia literaturoznawstwa zasługują narzędzia umożliwiające łączenie się i integrację ogromnych liczb fanów tych tekstów. Dzięki tym narzędziom fani mogą teraz łączyć swoje starania mające na celu lepsze zrozumienie tekstów (forensic efforts). Niektóre teksty z uwagi na swój charakter z samego swojego założenia zachęcają graczy do tworzenia społeczności fandomu dochodzeniowego (forensic fandom), do zagłębiania się w tekst i drążenia, aby odkryć więcej – tam, gdzie inne fandomy ograniczają się wyłącznie do – choćby i wyjątkowo entuzjastycznej – konsumpcji lub oddają się kreatywnej twórczości opartej na niuansach tekstu i swojej interpretacji tegoż, fandom dochodzeniowy poświęca czas i starania właśnie niuansom tekstu oraz samej interpretacji celem optymalizacji zrozumienia tekstu w obrębie danej społeczności fanowskiej. T...
The complicated affair between the cinema and the genius of Edgar Allan Poe goes back almost to t... more The complicated affair between the cinema and the genius of Edgar Allan Poe goes back almost to the beginning of the cinema itself. As Mark Neimeyer points out in Poe and Popular Culture, “[s]ince almost the first decade of the twentieth century, directors have been turning to Poe for inspiration, adapting his works with greater or lesser faithfulness” (Neimeyer, in Hayes 2002: 216). Some of the works have enjoyed better popularity than others, being apted and re-adapted many times by different directors in different time periods, such as The Fall of the House of Usher or The Tell-tale heart; others, such as The Golden Beetle, did not1. Among this vast number of adaptations of Poe’s works, a very original, innovative short story Ligeia seems to remain rather obscure. Apart from being en excellent representative of Poe’s work, Ligeia is also noteworthy for its remarkably intense, almost oppressive, dark atmosphere and, first and foremost, a truly unique main character, the titular Li...
Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, 2021
The focus of this article are independent digital horror games and their characteristics; the goa... more The focus of this article are independent digital horror games and their characteristics; the goal was to briefly describe the independent horror scene and highlight some of the artistic and technical trends which manifest themselves in the titles belonging to that scene. Due to the sheer number of available games, the scope of the paper is narrowed down to only selected characteristics and trends distinguishable in game texts published between the years 2010 and 2020. The aim of the article is to present a selection of observations and conclusions concerning the independent games scene and to hopefully point to what these games can tell scholars about the way both the players and the developers perceive the horror genre.
Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication
The article discusses selected aspects of the 2020 game Tell Me Why, focusing on particular gamep... more The article discusses selected aspects of the 2020 game Tell Me Why, focusing on particular gameplay mechanics pertaining to player choices and the manner in which they influence player emotions, as well as on the representation of trans experience in the game. The authors draw both on affect theory and on approaches derived from game studies concerning the presence of emotions in gameplay. In the final part of the text, trans representation in Tell Me Why is analysed and juxtaposed with the readings typically found in the game’s reviews.
This article identifies and examines a couple of selected issues regarding speculative digital ga... more This article identifies and examines a couple of selected issues regarding speculative digital games which endeavor to deal with serious subject matter. Due to the fact that speculative games are exceptionally well suited for symbolic representation of sensitive topics, they allow their creators to conceive ambitious projects that aspire to be great works of audiovisual art. However, because game texts belong to a very specific medium, it is not always possible to realize this ambition in the context of gameplay. For reasons of space and focus this article uses one particular game, The Medium (2021), to serve as the primary example of how the problems which occur in the process of combining specific, engaging gameplay with serious, sensitive subject matter, lead to situations in which a game can fail to fulfill the player’s expectations. By analyzing the structure, gameplay, and storytelling tools employed in The Medium, the article places emphasis on the significance of the possibl...
Podstawowym celem artykułu było wprowadzenie spostrzeżeń i refleksji Davida Toopa, jak również pr... more Podstawowym celem artykułu było wprowadzenie spostrzeżeń i refleksji Davida Toopa, jak również proponowanych przez niego podejść analitycznych, do polskich badań kulturoznawczych oraz literaturoznawczych; mimo iż Toop i jego prace są jednym z głównych punktów odniesienia dla sound studies, jego twórczość pozostaje w dużej mierze nieopisana w polskiej literaturze akademickiej. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia zarys charakteru dzieł i rozważań Toopa, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem jego najważniejszych książek, jak również demonstruje zastosowanie jego refleksji i narzędzi analitycznych w kontekście literaturoznawczym, a konkretnie w kontekście badań nad fantastyką grozy
Horror fiction plays an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary world, being int... more Horror fiction plays an important part in the cultural landscape of contemporary world, being integral to the popular culture in many modern societies. This chapter compares and contrasts the structure and characteristics of horror narratives from two distinct cultures—American and Japanese—with a focus on the mechanisms that make them successful, and on their culturally-specific aspects. The aim of this work is to shed light on the differences and similarities in the depiction of fear and horror in American and Japanese realities, while at the same time emphasizing narrative patterns in the context of their respective cultures
The paper considers selected aspects of the phenomenon of Internet memes. Beginning with a succin... more The paper considers selected aspects of the phenomenon of Internet memes. Beginning with a succinct origins of the term “meme” and its current functions in the Internet environment, the paper introduces various definitions of the term, constructed by academic scholars and Internet users alike. The primary focus is on the way in which memes operate within our culture, as well as on the life-cycle of memes and the manner in which memes migrate from one kind of media into other. The paper also discusses the phenomenon of memes crossing the boundaries between the virtual reality of the Internet and the physical reality of Internet users. All those matters are illustrated by concrete examples
Katarzyna Marak's chapter focuses on the manner in which performative play-paratextual Let... more Katarzyna Marak's chapter focuses on the manner in which performative play-paratextual Let's Play videos-can contribute to a better understanding of digital games in scholarly research and attempts at close reading of the given game text. Using selected examples, the paper demonstrates how a scholar, using Let's Plays, can expand their knowledge concerning possible gameplay experiences of other players, as well as explore the relevant cultural and linguistic limitations of the analyzed game.
This book is devoted to emotional and narrative immersion in the experience of gameplay. The focu... more This book is devoted to emotional and narrative immersion in the experience of gameplay. The focus of our research is the complex interplay between the story and mechanics in digital games. Our goal is to demonstrate how the narrative and the ludic elements together can form unique player experiences. The volume is a collection of case studies involving close reading of selected independent titles, with focus placed on the themes, motifs and experimental approaches to gameplay present therein.
Horror fiction is an important part of the popular culture in many modern societies. This book co... more Horror fiction is an important part of the popular culture in many modern societies. This book compares and contrasts horror narratives from two distinct cultures--American and Japanese--with a focus on the characteristic mechanisms that make them successful, and on their culturally-specific aspects. Including a number of narratives belonging to film, literature, comics and video games, this book provides a comprehensive perspective of the genre. This book sheds light on the differences and similarities in the depiction of fear and horror in America and Japan, while emphasizing narrative patterns in the context of their respective cultures.
This paper concerns Internet user narratives concer ning the 2000 film adaptation of Junji Itō’s ... more This paper concerns Internet user narratives concer ning the 2000 film adaptation of Junji Itō’s manga, Uzumaki , of the same title and their characteristic traits . The focus are the individual testimonies of Interne t users who make up the nonJapanese, English-speaking audience of the film, an d the image of reception of it that they paint. A closer analysis of narratives about Uzumaki reveals a variety of ideas and attitudes regarding not only Japanese popular culture, but cinema and adaptations in general as well as specific patt erns of response—including the technical aspects of the film text and more com prehensive cultural nuances.
W szerokim wachlarzu cyfrowych narzędzi i możliwości, które pojawiły się wraz z Internetem w życi... more W szerokim wachlarzu cyfrowych narzędzi i możliwości, które pojawiły się wraz z Internetem w życiu odbiorców najróżniejszych tekstów, na szczególną uwagę z punktu widzenia literaturoznawstwa zasługują narzędzia umożliwiające łączenie się i integrację ogromnych liczb fanów tych tekstów. Dzięki tym narzędziom fani mogą teraz łączyć swoje starania mające na celu lepsze zrozumienie tekstów (forensic efforts). Niektóre teksty z uwagi na swój charakter z samego swojego założenia zachęcają graczy do tworzenia społeczności fandomu dochodzeniowego (forensic fandom), do zagłębiania się w tekst i drążenia, aby odkryć więcej – tam, gdzie inne fandomy ograniczają się wyłącznie do – choćby i wyjątkowo entuzjastycznej – konsumpcji lub oddają się kreatywnej twórczości opartej na niuansach tekstu i swojej interpretacji tegoż, fandom dochodzeniowy poświęca czas i starania właśnie niuansom tekstu oraz samej interpretacji celem optymalizacji zrozumienia tekstu w obrębie danej społeczności fanowskiej. T...
The complicated affair between the cinema and the genius of Edgar Allan Poe goes back almost to t... more The complicated affair between the cinema and the genius of Edgar Allan Poe goes back almost to the beginning of the cinema itself. As Mark Neimeyer points out in Poe and Popular Culture, “[s]ince almost the first decade of the twentieth century, directors have been turning to Poe for inspiration, adapting his works with greater or lesser faithfulness” (Neimeyer, in Hayes 2002: 216). Some of the works have enjoyed better popularity than others, being apted and re-adapted many times by different directors in different time periods, such as The Fall of the House of Usher or The Tell-tale heart; others, such as The Golden Beetle, did not1. Among this vast number of adaptations of Poe’s works, a very original, innovative short story Ligeia seems to remain rather obscure. Apart from being en excellent representative of Poe’s work, Ligeia is also noteworthy for its remarkably intense, almost oppressive, dark atmosphere and, first and foremost, a truly unique main character, the titular Li...
Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication, 2021
The focus of this article are independent digital horror games and their characteristics; the goa... more The focus of this article are independent digital horror games and their characteristics; the goal was to briefly describe the independent horror scene and highlight some of the artistic and technical trends which manifest themselves in the titles belonging to that scene. Due to the sheer number of available games, the scope of the paper is narrowed down to only selected characteristics and trends distinguishable in game texts published between the years 2010 and 2020. The aim of the article is to present a selection of observations and conclusions concerning the independent games scene and to hopefully point to what these games can tell scholars about the way both the players and the developers perceive the horror genre.
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