The History and Allure of Interactive Visual Novels

Dr. Mark Kretzschmar, Dr. Sara Raffel (Autoren)

Buch | Softcover

272 Seiten

2025
Bloomsbury Academic USA (Verlag)
978-1-5013-7047-2 (ISBN)

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Visual novels (VNs), a ludic video game genre that pairs textual fiction stories with anime-like images and varying degrees of interactivity, have increased in popularity among Western audiences in recent years. Despite originating in Japan, these stories have made their way into global culture as a genre accessible for both play and creation with wide-ranging themes from horror and loneliness to sexuality.

The History and Allure of Interactive Visual Novels begins with a comprehensive overview of the visual novel genre and the cultural evolution that led to its rise, then explains the tropes and appeal of subgenres like bishojo (cute girl games), detective games, horror, and eroge (erotic games). Finally, the book explores the future of the genre in both user-generated games and games from other genres that liberally borrow both narrative and ludological themes from visual novels.

Whether you’re a long-standing fan of the genre or a newcomer looking for a fresh experience, The History and Allure of Interactive Visual Novels will provide an accessible and critically engaging overview of a genre that is rich in storytelling yet often overlooked.

Mark Kretzschmar is a video game scholar and holds a PhD in Texts & Technology from the University of Central Florida, USA. Sara Raffel is a narrative and technical communication scholar in the English department at the University of Central Florida, USA.

PART 1: History and Interactivity

1. Introduction: The Ludic Genre Devoted to Stories Meets Postmodernism

2. Digital Books of the Rising Sun: Cultural and Technological Factors Leading to the Remediation of Manga and Anime

3. Assembling the Nest: Cultural Vehicles that Incubated Visual Novels

PART 2: Subgenres and Tropes

4. The Aesthetics and Functions of Kawaii (Cute)Culture and Dating Simulators

5. Detective Stories, Labyrinthian Puzzles, and Supernatural Horror (Oh, My!): The Rising Popularity of Mystery Visual Novels and Japanese Adventure Games

6. Intimacy, Uncensored Pixels, and Groundhog Day Porn Loops: Erotic Visual Novels and Adult Content

PART 3: Fan-Creators, Open-Source Software, and Genre-Melding?

7. Rise of the Fan/Gamer/Creator: How Open-Source Software Influences a New Generation of Visual Novel

8. Conclusion: The Future of Visual Novels: How Genre-Melders Keep the Dream Alive

Appendix A: The Visual Novel-Adventure Game Starter Kit
Ludography
Index

Erscheinungsdatum	11.07.2023
Reihe/Serie	Approaches to Digital Game Studies
Zusatzinfo	15 bw illus
Verlagsort	New York
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Themenwelt	Informatik ► Weitere Themen ► Computerspiele
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Angewandte Mathematik
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Finanz- / Wirtschaftsmathematik
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Medienwissenschaft
ISBN-10	1-5013-7047-2 / 1501370472
ISBN-13	978-1-5013-7047-2 / 9781501370472
Zustand	Neuware