VIDEO GAMES AS SIMULACRA: JEAN BAUDRILLARD'S CONCEPT AS A METHODOLOGY FOR STUDYING VIDEO GAMES

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the theory of simulacra and simulation by the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard.Baudrillard’s concept is considered as a methodology for the philosophical interpretation of video games. In his works, he analyzed contemporary media, advertising, mass culture (and other aspects of society) as manifestations of hyperreality, where the boundaries between reality and simulation become blurred. Although he did not explicitly write about video games, his concept of hyperreality can serve as a methodological foundation for analyzing the virtual reality of video game worlds and the ways of interacting with them.The article demonstrates how the ideas of the French philosopher are applied to the analysis of various aspects of video games – from the virtual worlds they represent to the unique interactive properties of video games as a medium. In particular, the analysis includes well-known video game series such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout, whose gameplay is based on the principle of modeling an interactive virtual space where the player has the freedom to act at their discretion and express their will through interactive engagement with the environment. These video games are based on real-world models that are transformed within the virtual space under various influences, thereby generating simulacra of different orders. In such cases, video games as a form of media come closest to the models described by Baudrillard.The article’s source base includes the works of Jean Baudrillard, particularly his book Simulacra and Simulation, with specific chapters such as The Chinese Syndrome and The Hyperreal and the Imaginary serving as an interpretive framework for understanding video games as simulacra. Additionally, the article examines research by scholars from various disciplines who have explored video games and simulacra in their interdisciplinary studies, including works by Vorozheykin Ye., Omelyanchuk M., Gurova I., Romanovych Zh., and others.