The impact of roleplaying games on culture

MacCallum-Stewart, Esther; Bjork, Staffan; Stenros, Jaakko

Abstract

Role-playing games are an essential element of our gaming landscape. They have not only played a core role in the development of games, but have much wider currency in popular culture and are often used as a frame of reference for many generic inferences about gaming habits, behaviours, and signifiers. Recently, the growth of geek culture has expanded this trend further, with RPGs becoming a cornerstone of the gaming experience. The roleplaying gamer is regarded as a definitive trope within popular gaming representations, and terms developed in RPG games are now common shorthand for more general gaming experiences or actions. This chapter explores some of the cultural shifts that have occurred as a result of these issues.

• Acceptance Date: Apr 30, 2015
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jan 18, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Roleplaying Games Studies Handbook
• Keywords: roleplaying, role-play, games studies, gaming, players
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/910107
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Develop 2015 - Evolve
• Contract Date: Jul 28, 2016