Keywords
LGBTQ+, Queer, Video Games, Indie, Mainstream, Renaissance
Abstract
Queer content in video games has existed since the 1970s, but as time and technology have progressed, so too have the potential for queer content in video games. During the mid-2010’s, a sudden increase in the number of games with queer content began, lasting between the years 2013 and 2017. This research project examines this period in great detail to determine the cause of this drastic increase. Through examining queer games literature, two queer games databases, and two select titles from this period, I determine that independent, or “indie” developers, have a substantial impact on the increase of queer games content during this time. I conduct a numerical count of two queer games databases to determine the number of both independent and mainstream games released in these years, as well as a qualitative content analysis on a mainstream title, Fallout 4, and an indie title, Curtain, to determine how each sector incorporates queer content in their games.
Primary Advisor
Jyotika Virdi
Program Reader
Michael Stasko
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Communication, Media and Film
Document Type
Major Research Paper
Convocation Year
2022
Included in
American Popular Culture Commons, Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons, Game Design Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Interactive Arts Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other Communication Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Work Commons, Visual Studies Commons