Browsing by Author "Kiley, Aleah"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Indie Inclusion?: Analyzing Diversity in the Independent Video Game Industry
    (University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Kiley, Aleah; Chavez, Christopher
    Research into mainstream (AAA) video games reveals a popularized form of militarized masculine entertainment that is synonymous with violence toward other men and sexualized violence toward women. The means of successful AAA game production are limited to those who have access to sophisticated game engines, advanced programming skills, and substantial financial backing. Consequently, a robust independent “indie” game industry has emerged to promote a greater range of game creation excluded from the AAA model. Drawing on political economic, feminist, and cultural studies approaches, this study seeks to trace the emergent trends and dynamics in the indie industry and analyzes common practices, strategies, and discursive themes of the Independent Games Festival (IGF), their hosting event, GDC, and their parent company UBM. This thesis contributes to media industry studies, game studies, and critical theory and highlights how economic logics shape social relations and influences processes of cultural change.