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Book Chapter

Digital Shogun and Electronic Imperialism: Japanese History through the Lens of Historical Videogames

  • Aldo Giuseppe Scarselli

This chapter looks at how Japanese history is represented in videogames. The focus is on the difference between historical videogames produced in the Western world and those produced in Japan. I am going to highlight how videogames are often influenced by Orientalism and Eurocentrism and how this is quite evident for Western products set in historical Japan. After that, my focus will be on how Japanese game developers re-imagine their history, moving away from concepts of historical authenticity towards a freer and more elastic representation of the past.

  • Keywords:
  • Historical videogames; History of Japan; Samurai; Cultural Representations,
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  1. Chapman, Adam, Anna Foka, and Jonathan Westin. 2017. “Introduction: What is Historical Game Studies?” Rethinking History 21, 3: 358-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2016.1256638 (last accessed 08/01/2023). DOI: 10.1080/13642529.2016.1256638
  2. Chapman, Adam, and Jonas Linderoth. 2015. “Exploring the Limits of Play: a case study of representation of Nazism in Games.” In The Dark Side of Game Play: Controversial Issues in Playful Environments, edited by Torill Elvira Mortensen, Jonas Linderoth, and Ashley ML Brown, 137-53. New York: Routledge.
  3. Hasegawa, Kazumi. 2013. “Falling in Love with History: Japanese Girl’s Otome Sexuality and queering Historical Imagination.” In Playing with the Past: Digital Games and the Simulation of History, edited by Matthew Wilhelm Kapell, and Andrew B. R. Elliot, 135-149. London: Bloomsbury Academic. Chapman, Adam, Anna Foka, and Jonathan Westin.
  4. Koski, Johannes. 2017. “Reflections of history: representations of the Second World War in Valkyria Chronicles.” Rethinking History 21, 3: 396-414. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2016.1256625 (last accessed 08/01/2023). DOI: 10.1080/13642529.2016.1256625
  5. Mukherjee, Souvik. 2017. Videogames and Postcolonialism: Empire Plays Back. London: Palgrave.
  6. Uricchio, William. 2005. “Simulation, History and Computer Games.” In Handbook of Computer Game Studies, edited by Joost Raessens, and Jeffrey Goldstein, 327-39. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  7. Age of Empires (Ensemble Studios, Microsoft 1997)
  8. Age of Empires II: the Age of Kings (Ensemble Studios, Microsoft 1999)
  9. Age of Empires III: Age of Discoveries (Ensemble Studios, Microsoft 2005)
  10. Age of Empires III: the Asian Dynasties (Ensemble Studios, Microsoft 2007)
  11. Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, Activison 2008)
  12. Civilization (MicroProse 1991)
  13. Civilization II (MicroProse 1996)
  14. Civilization III (Firaxis Games, Infogrames 2001)
  15. Civilization IV (Firaxis Games, 2K Games 2005)
  16. Civilization V (Firaxis Games, 2K Games 2010)
  17. Civilization VI (Firaxis Games, 2K Games 2016)
  18. Dynasty Warrior series (Omega Force, Koei 1997-2018)
  19. Genpei Tōma Den (Namco 1986)
  20. Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan (Idea Factory 2008)
  21. Hearts of Iron series (Paradox 2002-2016)
  22. Kessen (Koei 2000)
  23. Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (EA games 2004)
  24. Nioh (Team Ninja, Koei- Sony 2017)
  25. Nobunaga’s Ambition (Koei 1983)
  26. Onimusha Series (Capcom 2001-2006)
  27. Romance of the Three Kingdoms series (Koei 1985-2017)
  28. Sengoku Basara (Capcom 2005)
  29. Shogun: Total War (The Creative Assembly, Electronic Arts 2000)
  30. Total War: Shogun 2 (The Creative Assembly, Sega 2011)
  31. Valkyria Chronicles (Sega 2008)
  32. Way of the Samurai series (Acquire, Spike 2002-2012)
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  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Pages: 189-198
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
  • © 2023 Author(s)

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  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
  • © 2023 Author(s)

Chapter Information

Chapter Title

Digital Shogun and Electronic Imperialism: Japanese History through the Lens of Historical Videogames

Authors

Aldo Giuseppe Scarselli

Language

English

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0242-8.15

Peer Reviewed

Publication Year

2023

Copyright Information

© 2023 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Bibliographic Information

Book Title

East and West Entangled (17th-21st Centuries)

Editors

Rolando Minuti, Giovanni Tarantino

Peer Reviewed

Number of Pages

228

Publication Year

2023

Copyright Information

© 2023 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Publisher Name

Firenze University Press

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0242-8

ISBN Print

979-12-215-0241-1

eISBN (pdf)

979-12-215-0242-8

eISBN (epub)

979-12-215-0243-5

Series Title

Connessioni. Studies in Transcultural History

Series ISSN

2975-0393

Series E-ISSN

2975-0261

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