Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames: Representation, Play, Transmedia

This volume presents an original framework for studying video games that use visual materials and narrative conventions from ancient Greece and Rome, focusing on the culturally rich continuum of ancient Greek and Roman games and treating them as functional interactive products that require the player to interpret, communicate with, and alter them. It builds an interconnected picture of antiquity in video games within a wider transmedial environment, covering a wide array of games from different genres, including blood-spilling violence, meticulous strategizing, and bizarre adventures. The case study approach draws on close analysis of outstanding examples of the genre to uncover how both representation and gameplay function in such "ancient games".

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 26 January 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The study explores the cultural significance of ancient Greek and Roman games, examining how they reflect and shape contemporary society. It highlights the ways in which these games have been appropriated and adapted for modern audiences, while also considering the challenges and opportunities that arise from this process. The volume also explores the impact of ancient games on the development of video games as a medium, highlighting the ways in which they have influenced the design, mechanics, and storytelling of modern games.
Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames offers a unique perspective on the study of video games that incorporate visual materials and narrative conventions from ancient Greece and Rome. It delves into the culturally rich continuum of ancient Greek and Roman games, treating them not just as representations but as functional interactive products that require the player to interpret, communicate with, and alter them. The study tracks the movement of such concepts across different media, creating an interconnected picture of antiquity in video games within a wider transmedial environment.

The volume presents a wide array of games from various genres, ranging from the blood-spilling violence of god-killing and gladiatorial combat to meticulous strategizing over virtual Roman Empires and often bizarre adventures in pseudo-ancient places. Readers encounter instances in which players become intimately engaged with the "epic mode" of spectacle in God of War, moments of negotiation with colonized lands in Rome: Total War and Imperium Romanum, and multi-layered narratives rich with ancient traditions in games such as Eleusis and Salammbo.

The study explores the cultural significance of ancient Greek and Roman games, examining how they reflect and shape contemporary society. It highlights the ways in which these games have been appropriated and adapted for modern audiences, while also considering the challenges and opportunities that arise from this process. The volume also explores the impact of ancient games on the development of video games as a medium, highlighting the ways in which they have influenced the design, mechanics, and storytelling of modern games.

In conclusion, Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames provides a valuable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of video games, offering a fresh perspective on the cultural significance of ancient Greek and Roman games and their impact on the development of video games as a medium.

Weight: 368g
Dimension: 154 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350194113