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English
Bloomsbury Academic
26 January 2023
This volume presents an original framework for the study of video games that use visual materials and narrative conventions from ancient Greece and Rome. It focuses on the culturally rich continuum of ancient Greek and Roman games, treating them not just as representations, but as functional interactive products that require the player to interpret, communicate with and alter them. Tracking the movement of such concepts across different media, the study builds an interconnected picture of antiquity in video games within a wider transmedial environment.

Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames presents a wide array of games from several different genres, ranging from the blood-spilling violence of god-killing and gladiatorial combat to meticulous strategizing over virtual Roman Empires and often bizarre adventures in pseudo-ancient places. Readers encounter instances in which players become intimately engaged with the “epic mode” of spectacle in God of War, moments of negotiation with colonised lands in Rome: Total War and Imperium Romanum, and multi-layered narratives rich with ancient traditions in games such as Eleusis and Salammbo. The case study approach draws on close analysis of outstanding examples of the genre to uncover how both representation and gameplay function in such “ancient games”.

By:  
Edited by:   ,
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 156mm,  Spine: 25mm
Weight:   454g
ISBN:   9781350194113
ISBN 10:   1350194115
Series:   IMAGINES – Classical Receptions in the Visual and Performing Arts
Pages:   240
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Primary
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Acknowledgements List of Illustrations An introduction to key concepts (or, always read the manual) 1. (or, a Tutorial Level): How Might We Study Ancient-World Videogames? 2. Finding a New Epic in Action-Adventure Videogames 3. Ideas of “Rome” in Ancient Strategy Games 4. First-Person Antiquity: Contemporaneity and Experimentality Not Game Over: A Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

Ross Clare is a University Teacher in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Liverpool, UK. He specializes in the study of antiquity in popular culture, particularly video games, film and television, and science fiction and fantasy.

Reviews for Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames: Representation, Play, Transmedia

Clare’s approach is not only useful for those studying the ancient world, but other historical periods as well. * Manchester Metropolitan Game Centre * Starting with a helpful and in-depth explanation of his theoretical approach, which will make the tome accessible even to those who have never played Minesweeper, Clare analyses big name franchises and little-known, independent games with equal seriousness. * Greece & Rome * It is clear from this engaging and broad study that research into classical reception in videogames has successfully completed the tutorial stage – what comes next, as in true videogame style, is up to us, the players and interpreters of these digital worlds, to decide what to explore next. * The Classical Review * This is the first monographic treatment of the receptions of classical antiquity in video games and a book that I have been expecting for years. Through an eclectic selection of case studies, Clare develops an intriguing approach to classical receptions in this vibrant medium. -- Christian Rollinger, Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Trier, Germany


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