Del encanto de vivir en azeroth. Presencias neobarrocas en la lúdica virtual

Escandell Montiel, D and Cruz Suárez, JC (2015) Del encanto de vivir en azeroth. Presencias neobarrocas en la lúdica virtual. Brumal, 3 (1). pp. 139-160. ISSN 2014-7910

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Abstract

Video games can respond to Neo-baroque instincts regarding the construction of alternative identities that exceed the everyday existence of the postmodern social being. Taking Neo-baroque theories as a starting point, this article proposes an analysis of the social and fantasy components in multiplayer massive online role-playing games. To do so, the foundational titles of the MUD genre are taken as reference as they are the precedents of contemporary massive video games. Current titles are represented using World of Warcraft as main reference, due to its relevance as a genre-defining video game and its hugely popular fantasy world. In its synthetic world, as happens in similar games, the Neo-baroque presence is developed as part of the game-oriented system of contemporary society.