The SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation) project ‘Horror – Game – Politics’ analysed a sample of 22 digital horror games in terms of their history of ideas. Project manager Eugen Pfister’s aim was to prove that digital games in general, and digital horror games in particular, frequently communicate discursive political statements. This happens both consciously, when developers intend to communicate a specific statement, and unconsciously in the form of myths as described by Roland Barthes. There has long been a consensus in research that a history of ideas and political history cannot be reconstructed solely on the basis of individual political texts. In democratic societies in particular, political communication takes place not only in parliaments and political essays, but also to a large extent in popular culture.
Dott. Ric. Dr. phil. Eugen Pfister is historian and political scientist. In particular, he researches the history of ideas and political history in digital games. He is currently leading the SNF-Sinergia project, ‘Swiss History of Games, Play and Game Design 1968-2000,’ with a team of 20 colleagues at four Swiss universities. Previously, he led the SNSF project ‘Horror-Game-Politics’ at the Bern University of the Arts. He studied at the Universität Wien and the Université Paris IV – Sorbonne. He wrote his PhD in the history of political communication in co-tutelle at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main and the Università degli Studi di Trento. In 2015, he and 15 colleagues founded the Working Group for History and Digital Games (AKGWDS), which has since grown to over 300 members.
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
17.00 - 18.30
DH Lab, 1st floor Maison des Sciences humaines
11, Porte des Sciences, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette
