Ludological Storytelling and Unique Narrative Experiences in Silent Hill Downpour

In this thesis, I examine the relationship of ludology and audience agency to the narrative structure of video games, specifically by examining the ludological narratives of the games in the Silent Hill series, with a focus on the most recent entry in the franchise, Silent Hill Downpour. While much has been written about the conflict between narratology and ludology in video games scholarship, I propose an alternate way of studying games; one that acknowledges the variety of gaming experiences available and recognizes the necessity of tailoring methodological approaches to specific types of games. This experientially-tailored view of studying games acknowledges the structured narrative experiences found in the medium while also taking into account the importance of player interaction and the role that player agency can have on the direction and eventual outcome of a specific player’s narrative experience. Alongside an in-depth structural analysis of the narrative in Silent Hill Downpour, I examine the ways in which the loyal fans of the Silent Hill franchise discuss the franchise’s narrative elements online through internet message boards and social media, allowing a more focused analysis of how individual player experiences affect an audience’s perception of narrative structure and what this might tell us about reader-response theory, participatory fandom, and culturally-specific methods of decoding.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Popular Culture

Grantor dc:publisher

Bowling Green State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Holmquest, Broc Anthony

Contributors dc:contributor

• Motz, Marilyn

• Communication
• Mass Media
• Multimedia Communications
• Silent Hill
• Video Games
• Narratology
• Ludology
• Game Studies
• Audience Studies
• Fan Studies

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1363456341

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:bgsu1363456341