Androids: Humans or Machines? An analysis of the socio-cultural contexts of the videogame Detroit: Become Human
Translated title
Androider: Mennesker eller Maskiner? En analyse af den socio-kulturelle kontekst i computerspillet Detroit: Become Human
Author
Christensen, Benjamin
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-02
Pages
69
Abstract
This thesis examines how the video game Detroit: Become Human uses android characters, worldbuilding, and a choice-driven narrative to reflect and critique contemporary and historical social issues. Guided by the research question of how the game’s universe mirrors its cultural and historical context and how gameplay analysis can be merged with cultural analysis, the study combines New Historicism with game studies approaches (including worldbuilding analysis, branching narrative, and Murray Smith’s character engagement) alongside discussions of posthumanism/transhumanism and android theory, and reflects on applying New Historicism to a futuristic work. It situates the game’s 2038 Detroit setting and three android protagonists, tracing links between the game world and real-world histories of unemployment, economic decline, racial tensions, segregation, and references to historical atrocities. The analysis also considers social class, gender and sexual representation, and the USA–Canada contrast in the game’s worldbuilding. Based on this combined approach, the thesis argues that Detroit: Become Human codes androids as analogies for people of color and lower social classes, with clear evocations of slavery, segregation, and broader forms of marginalization; it further shows how the game’s systems of choice, moral dilemmas, and character development foster player empathy and communicate this sociocultural critique.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan videospillet Detroit: Become Human bruger android-figurer, verdensopbygning og valg-baseret fortælling til at afspejle og kommentere samtidige og historiske samfundsproblemer. Med udgangspunkt i forskningsspørgsmålet om, hvordan spiluniverset spejler spillets kulturelle og historiske kontekst, og hvordan gameplay-analyse kan forenes med kulturel analyse, kombinerer studiet New Historicism med spilstudier (herunder analyse af worldbuilding, forgrening af narrativet og Murray Smiths karakterengagement) samt diskussioner af posthumanisme/transhumanisme og android-teori. Afhandlingen kontekstualiserer spillets setting i Detroit 2038 og de tre android-protagonister, og den kortlægger forbindelser mellem spillets verden og den virkelige verdens historie, herunder arbejdsløshed, økonomisk nedtur, racemæssige spændinger, segregation og referencer til historiske overgreb. Analysen behandler også temaer som socialklasse, køn og seksualitet samt modsætningen mellem USA og Canada i spillets worldbuilding. På baggrund af denne kombinerede metode argumenterer afhandlingen for, at androids i Detroit: Become Human fremstilles som analogier for farvede mennesker og de lavere sociale lag, med klare referencer til slaveri, segregation og andre former for marginalisering; samtidig viser den, hvordan spillets design af valg, moral og karakterudvikling aktiverer spillerens empati og formidler denne sociokulturelle kritik.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords