Monday 31/5/21 - Identifying with your Videogame Proxy Character
Videogames offer a unique experience over other story-telling media forms because the player is in charge of the character, and influences how they interact with the world. But controlling the character is not the same as becoming the character. Different gamers may have a different experience across different videogames, in regards to how they view themselves participating in the world of the game.
Pictured: A Gamer
So today, I asked myself, some close friends, and polled twitter:
Is the videogame protagonist an extension of yourself?
The first question I asked the class was how you identify with a character that already has a name and backstory. Sure, when you're reading a book or watching a movie, you may see some of yourself in the main character, but ultimately, you are rooting for them on the side-lines.
Many videogame characters, say for example, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, have pre-established goals, motivations and often full personalities, BUT we direct their moment to moment actions. So do people see themselves as the character, or is it still watching as a bystander? I queried my friends on this with the following Poll:
Is it me, or Mario?
Super Mario Galaxy 2, 2010
Overwhelmingly, everyone voted that they are controlling Mario. Sure the experience they are having in the world is theirs, but Mario is not this world's version of them, he is simply a puppet, a vessel in which they drive their actions through. The main character is not me, its Mario. When we discussed this part further, my friends also added that in games where the main character is an established character, but nameable, such as many Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda games, this did not change their perspective of their place in the world. Yes I may call Link "Mitchell", but I am simply along for the ride of Mitchell the Hylian's story; we may share a name, but they're still a different entity.
Who is your character?
Next, I asked my friends if the answer changes if the character is a blank-slate and also customisable. In World Simulation games such as Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, or Free-Roam Adventure games such as Skyrim or Cyberpunk, your character, how they look, behave, grow and specialise, is all up to the player.
Animal Crossing New Horizons, 2020
The response was a bit complicated on this one.
One friend used Pokémon as example on how self-insert characters work for them. The trainer that they control and run around with is not them. It is a character separate to them who they are in charge of. BUT, the Pokémon they use are their Pokémon, it is just the proxy trainer they control who commands them. Another friend used farm sims such as Stardew Valley to express a similar opinion. The character they play as is not them; but the farm, the crops, livestock belong to the player, not the character.
Pokémon Sword/Shield, 2019
So to summarise, Mitchell is just a Pokémon Trainer who shares my name, but the Pokémon Mitchell uses are mine. That is my Mudkip, not Mitchell the Pokémon Trainer's Mudkip, he just uses them.
I would say that in very few games, I do consider myself to be the main character, but Animal Crossing is the only example I'd personally use. Echoing that statement my friend said earlier, the island, the landscaping, and taste in décor, they are all of my design. But even if I can't say the Villager I control is a 1-1 Animal Crossing me, they are as close as I'll get to myself in the game.
How do you make your character?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 2011
The last query I asked my friends about is when you do have varied character customisation in front of you, do you try to make yourself in the game, or do you create something else entirely? I didn't use a poll for this one, since the range of responses was sure to vary.
In most cases, the responses seemed to push towards using character creation to just design a character that looks cool. One of my friends said that if there are options to make a character look like himself, he will only do so if the game specifies in-game that this is "you, the player", but he will still consider this character separate to himself. Just a look-alike he controls. But most often, given the tools, he would choose to "just make characters think look cool or dumb as hell."
Bloodborne, 2015
As an artist, I use the term OC, or Original Character, a lot. And even if it is a bit out of context here, I have likened my friend's use of character creators as a way to make OCs. Games like Darksouls and Skyrim have the tools to make the player character a total rad-looking badass or maybe the ugliest MF on the planet. Why obey reality when fantasy has so many more options?
Since a lot of the time spent in Action-Adventure games is spent looking at a character's back, why wouldn't I give my character a look/outfit that accentuates their butt? Another friend said that she's never interested in making a character into herself, "I make someone super pretty with the big boobs". I myself hand-picked my Monster Hunter character's physical attributes and fashion outfit to look as cool and cute as i could. And then I treat her like I would any other Art OC.
Monster Hunter Rise, 2021 (Right),
My drawing of my Hunter (Left)
In Conclusion
If the character has a name and backstory, players see themselves in control of them, but do not put themselves in their boots at all.
If the character is name-able and customisable, then in general, players will still say that character is not them, they just control them. But the actions and possessions of that custom character are owned more by the player.
When players have the choice to make a character look however they want, rarely will people make themselves, rather they'll make an original character who's as cool or ugly or sexy as their imagination and the tools given allow.
Thankyou for taking the time to read my little case-study on Proxy Characters and Self-Recognition of their Players.
