We Are the Champions? Performing whiteness in ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS. (October 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- We Are the Champions? Performing whiteness in ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS. (October 2021)
- Main Title:
- We Are the Champions? Performing whiteness in ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS
- Authors:
- Harrer, Sabine
- Abstract:
- Background: Building on previous studies on racism and whiteness in video games, this article investigates howdeck building games provide platforms for identity tourism, the symbolic appropriation of marginalised experiences, through their coupling of mechanics and racial stereotypes. Aims: The aim is to contribute to our understanding how dominant ideologies are expressed through simulation and gaming in a deck building context and how games similar to ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS (henceforth A: DOC) perpetuate racism and coloniality through gameplay design. This is part of an ongoing game studies effort to critique white supremacist and imperial structures in games. Method: In this article, I conduct a first-person close reading of A: DOC as an emblematic case study for contemporary deck building design. Using critical whiteness theory, I pay special attention to the gameplay design of the four Champion characters Nairi, Kor, Sadranis, and Dhartha in order to demonstrate the interplay of ludic, racial, and social performative elements in the construction of playful identities. Analysis: The deck building principles of A: DOC provides a racial pedagogical arena which creates affective links between gameplay and white supremacist values. In coupling digital deck building mechanics with stereotypical fantasy characters, the game invites players to take the roles of fantasy tourists and thereby become implicit in white supremacist play. Even though the characters Nairi, Kor,Background: Building on previous studies on racism and whiteness in video games, this article investigates howdeck building games provide platforms for identity tourism, the symbolic appropriation of marginalised experiences, through their coupling of mechanics and racial stereotypes. Aims: The aim is to contribute to our understanding how dominant ideologies are expressed through simulation and gaming in a deck building context and how games similar to ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS (henceforth A: DOC) perpetuate racism and coloniality through gameplay design. This is part of an ongoing game studies effort to critique white supremacist and imperial structures in games. Method: In this article, I conduct a first-person close reading of A: DOC as an emblematic case study for contemporary deck building design. Using critical whiteness theory, I pay special attention to the gameplay design of the four Champion characters Nairi, Kor, Sadranis, and Dhartha in order to demonstrate the interplay of ludic, racial, and social performative elements in the construction of playful identities. Analysis: The deck building principles of A: DOC provides a racial pedagogical arena which creates affective links between gameplay and white supremacist values. In coupling digital deck building mechanics with stereotypical fantasy characters, the game invites players to take the roles of fantasy tourists and thereby become implicit in white supremacist play. Even though the characters Nairi, Kor, Sadranis and Dhartha are leaders of different genders and races, their "diversity" is established via popular racial cybertypes like the white female diversity advocate, the technologically advanced white male emperor, the aggressive Black male, and the Asian male exotic Oriental. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Simulation & gaming. Volume 52:Number 5(2021)
- Journal:
- Simulation & gaming
- Issue:
- Volume 52:Number 5(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 52, Issue 5 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 52
- Issue:
- 5
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0052-0005-0000
- Page Start:
- 533
- Page End:
- 553
- Publication Date:
- 2021-10
- Subjects:
- deck building games -- critical whiteness theory -- racial stereotypes -- cybertypes -- identity tourism -- ASCENSION: DAWN OF CHAMPIONS
Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals
Simulation methods -- Periodicals
Game theory -- Periodicals
Sciences sociales -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques
Simulation, Méthodes de -- Périodiques
Jeu de rôle -- Périodiques
Éducation
Jeu d'entreprise
Jeu de simulation
Méthode de simulation
Sciences sociales
Théorie des jeux
Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme)
Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme)
003.3 - Journal URLs:
- http://journals.sagepub.com/loi/sag ↗
http://sag.sagepub.com/ ↗
http://www.sagepublications.com/ ↗
http://firstsearch.oclc.org ↗
http://firstsearch.oclc.org/journal=1046-8781;screen=info;ECOIP ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1177/1046878120982014 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1046-8781
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 17046.xml