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THE SPACE MACHINE: SPACE AND PERSPECTIVE IN COMPUTER GAMES

Stephan Schwingeler



 

The scientific examination of the subject of computer games has experienced a veritable boom in recent years. But there is hardly any publication about the aesthetics of computer game images. "The Space Machine" offers an art-historically well-founded, broad overview of the representation of space in computer game images.


The images produced by current computer games can be assigned to a line of traditional imagery that goes back to the development of Renaissance perspective in the 15th century. The author shows how the representation of spatial phenomena has developed from the Quattrocento to the present day and how it leads to three-dimensional, virtual worlds. The various spatial concepts on which computer games are based are also categorized and discussed in detail.


Images from today's computer games are digital, automatically generated, perspective, three-dimensional, calculated in real time, moving and interactive. They become urgent worlds and virtual spaces for the user to enter.

The author uses the term arbitrary perspective to describe the user's subjective view of the space of the computer game. This new way of looking concludes the exploration of the computer game as a "space machine".


The book is richly illustrated, mostly in color. With many examples, access is also guaranteed for everyone who does not yet have much experience with computer game research.

 

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE

BINDING

EDITION

ISBN

YEAR

PAGES

German

Hardcover

9783940317247

2008

172

OTHER NAMES

  • Die Raummaschine. Raum und Perspektive im Computerspiel

 

TAGS


Publishers: #VerlagWernerHülsbusch (Verlag Werner Hülsbusch)

Languages: #German

Format: #Hardcover

Accessibility: N/A

Year: #Year2008

Genres: #GameStudies


Companies:

N/A


Public Figures:

N/A


Games:

N/A


Misc:

#VWHGameStudies (VWH Game Studies)

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