Virtual Wastelands: Reframing Nuclear Representation in Video Games

Abstract

This thesis utilizes a comparative textual analysis of two popular video games series that feature heavy nuclear themes and representation of nuclear weapons/war in combination with applied critical theory to build a framework of game design elements that lead towards more thoughtful and considerate representation of this particular real, active, and global threat. The analysis of these two series in particular -- Fallout and Metal Gear Solid -- provides a comparative look at how nuclear politics in popular media is represented and consumed in both the United States and Japan, with consideration of history, regulation, and audience interactivity. Special thanks to Alex Camilleri and https://metalgeartimeline.com/ which provided a comprehensive, chronological, and descriptive narrative history of the Metal Gear Solid series that eased my load of research.