Lost and Found and Lost Again: Island Utopias and Dystopias in the BioShock Series Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The popularity of video games is at an all-time high among todays population. Game designers and producers spend years on plot and character development, the creation of appropriate settings, and providing the player with a ludic experience that is both enriching and perplexing. This article looks at the creation of virtual utopian societies as the basis for contemporary video games. Just as the world today sees many conflicts over island rights, island sovereignties, and, sometimes, the creation of artificial islands that seek to escape governance of existing countries, video games have embraced the creation of a separate society for settings that explore new or extreme forms of individual, societal, and political development. Examining the BioShock series, this article looks at how video games and their designers have used utopic theories of society to create new experiences, potentialities, and ethical dilemmas for the players.

published proceedings

  • GAMES AND CULTURE

author list (cited authors)

  • Nyman, E., & Teten, R. L.

complete list of authors

  • Nyman, Elizabeth||Teten, Ryan Lee