Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Beyond God's Eye: On the Reliability of Gameworld Images

"Beyond God's Eye" argues that the maps and perspective views found in video games are never neutral reproductions of space.

• Game maps and perspective views are not neutral reproductions of space; they carry Modernist assumptions of homogeneous, infinite Cartesian space and an anthropocentric, externally positioned viewer.
• The paper's central conclusion is that gameworld images make propositions about the spaces they represent rather than simply depicting them.
• Whether games challenge spatial stratification depends on how maps and perspective projections are combined, how synchronous they are, and how much control the player has over the point of view.