"Chapters address philosophical aspects of the video game The Legend of Zelda and video game culture in general"--Provided by publisher.
A philosophical exploration of the popular game series considers the nature of its gamers' connection to the Link, the Link's existence as a collective consciousness, and the distribution of space in the virtual land of Hyrule. Original.
Students of philosophy and of video games, of course, but also of literature, education, media, communication, and other fields examine a particular video game as a gateway into pondering the significance of the entire realm. Among the topics are critical thinking in the gaming and real worlds, the hero with a thousand hearts, slave morality and master swords, Zelda as a communication game, temporality, Hyrule's green and pleasant land, Zeldathustra, the Triforce and the doctrine of the mean, the legend of feminism, and getting to know the world next door. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
With both young and adult gamers as loyal fans, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved video game series ever created. The contributors to this volume consider the following questions and more: What is the nature of the gamer’s connection to Link? Does Link have a will, or do gamers project their wills onto him? How does the gamer experience the game? Do the rules of logic apply in the game world? How is space created and distributed in Hyrule (the fictional land in which the game takes place)? How does time function? Is Zelda art? Can Hyrule be seen as an ideal society? Can the game be enjoyable without winning? The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy not only appeals to Zelda fans and philosophers but also puts video games on the philosophical map as a serious area of study.