Playing in the darkness: video games and the dystopian imagination
Wed 20 Nov 2019, 19:30 - 20:00
- Venue
- The Four Quarters - Hackney Wick, Unit 8 Canalside, East Bay Lane, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 3BS
Event ended
This event is part of the British Academy's season on Utopia or Dystopia - Imagining Futures
Over the past half century, computer and video games have taken us to all manner of imaginary realms. Alongside the colourful kingdoms of Mario and Pokemon, games have frequently explored dark and dystopian places. From alien attacks in Space Invaders (1978) and Berzerk (1980) through to the collapse of civilisation in modern Far Cry, Fallout and Fortnite franchises, video games have depicted a wide range of nightmarish futures. This talk reflects on what exactly these games are saying about our collective future, as well as pondering the appeal of 'playing' through our own digital dystopias.
Running order:
19:30-20:00, Talk from John Wills
20:00-20:15, Audience Q&A
This talk takes place at the Four Quarters bar, where visitors can enjoy playing a combination of classic arcade and console games. The bar closes at 23:30.
Speaker: Dr John Wills, Reader in American History and Culture, University of Kent
Part of the Being Human Festival, 14-23 November.
Free, booking required
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