PLAY ALONG: VIDEO GAME MUSIC AS METAPHOR AND METONYMY By ZACHARY NATHAN WHALEN A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2004
Copyright 2004 by Zach Whalen
To Stacypartner, friend, lover, wife.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Jane Douglas and Donald Ault for their tireless investment in this project;
the Graduate Game Studies group for moral support; and, most importantly, my wife for
her patience and cookies.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF OBJECTS ......................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 STUDYING VIDEO GAMES .....................................................................................1 Introduction...................................................................................................................1 Context..........................................................................................................................5 2 FRAMEWORK ..........................................................................................................12 Immersion, Engagement, and Flow ............................................................................12 A Linguistics Model ...................................................................................................16 GameGenreandMusic..............................................................................................203 FORMS.......................................................................................................................23 Ancestral Forms..........................................................................................................23 Perspectives on Animation and Causality ..................................................................31 Examples.....................................................................................................................34 Super Mario Brothers..........................................................................................35 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time......................................................................41 Silent Hill.............................................................................................................45 4 CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................54 LIST OF REFERENCES ...................................................................................................55 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .............................................................................................60