Tyler, T (2017) Playing Like a Loser. In: Ohrem, D and Bartosch, R, (eds.) Beyond the Human-Animal Divide: Creaturely Lives in Literature and Culture. Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature (PSAAL) . Palgrave Macmillan , New York, USA , pp. 141-149. ISBN 978-1-137-60309-8
Abstract
The well-established mechanic within videogames which permits players to “respawn” immediately after an untimely death and try again is often characterized as definitive of the medium. Players become accustomed to the promise, and perhaps inevitability, of their ultimate victory. There are games, however, which do not operate according to this repeat-to-win formula. So-called “endless runners,” for instance, are, in truth, anything but endless. Players begin each play-through knowing that, no matter how many times they play and how proficient they become, they will always lose. Thus, the zombie runner, Into the Dead, requires us to adopt what the environmental philosopher Val Plumwood called a “prey perspective,” an awareness that we are not destined always to be dominant but are, in fact, merely juicy, nourishing food for other beings.
Metadata
Item Type: | Book Section |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2017. This extract is taken from the author's original manuscript and has not been edited. The definitive, published, version of record is available here: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-93437-9_7. Reproduced with permission of Palgrave Macmillan. |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Media & Communication (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 04 Apr 2017 11:49 |
Last Modified: | 24 Nov 2020 16:57 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Palgrave Macmillan |
Series Name: | Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature (PSAAL) |
Identification Number: | 10.1057/978-1-349-93437-9_7 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:114427 |