Thoughts on Kitsch and Games

The document explores the concept of kitsch within the context of the Greek video game development community, examining how local creators express national identity and navigate the perception of "Greek kitsch." The research draws on semi-structured interviews with Greek game developers and analysis of in-game cultural tropes. The scope is focused on the Greek game development scene, particularly reflecting on the period from approximately 2008-2018 and its transition towards international creative standards.

Kitsch is defined as popular, commercial art that imitates culture, using well-known formulas and reflecting easily consumed false sentiments, often arising from mass demand for accessible culture. In video game studies, kitsch has been associated with "Otherness" and "weirdness" in games like Katamari Damacy, or with "brutal sentimentality" in high-end production value games, particularly casual and social genres. A broader perspective suggests that video games, by procedurally producing a pretense of freedom and promoting predetermined conventions, can inherently be considered kitsch, with "art games" serving as anti-kitsch by challenging these forms.

Greek developers frequently refer to a specific "Greek kitsch," historically linked to the modernization of Greek society, mass consumption, tourism, and a "new-folk art" promoting fake nostalgia. This Greek kitsch became synonymous with fascism and propaganda, leading many creators to fear using Greek historical tropes to avoid such characterizations. This fear contributed to a trend in the Greek game development scene (2008-2018) to pursue international audiences without overt national cultural elements. However, the document suggests a new era is emerging in the Greek game scene, characterized by re-invention of Greek culture and a potential "new-Greek anti-kitsch movement," as exemplified by games like Selini. This shift indicates a refusal by Greek developers to embrace a "canned past" and a move away from replicating ideologies that historically identified Greek culture with superficial representations.