<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Since Julia Kristeva’s first use of the term in the late 20<sup>th</sup> century, intertextuality has given rise to one of the literary theories most frequently applied in the interpretation of texts across different media, from literature to art and film. In what concerns the study of digital games, however, the concept has received little attention, in spite of the fact that the new medium offers a more than fertile ground for its investigation. The aim of the present essay, therefore, is to propose that digital games can be and, indeed, are intertextual in at least two ways. First, we argue, games deliberately refer to other games, which may or may not be a part of the same series. Secondly, they connect with texts from other media and specifically with literary texts. In both cases, the intertextual link can be a sign of tribute, a critical comment, or a means of self-reflection. Ultimately, however, these links are a form of aesthetic play that reveals new similarities between digital games and traditional media for artistic expression.</p></abstract>

Since Julia Kristeva’s first use of the term in the late 20th century, intertextuality has given rise to one of the literary theories most frequently applied in the interpretation of texts across different media, from literature to art and film. In what concerns the study of digital games, however, the concept has received little attention, in spite of the fact that the new medium offers a more than fertile ground for its investigation. The aim of the present essay, therefore, is to propose that digital games can be and, indeed, are intertextual in at least two ways. First, we argue, games deliberately refer to other games, which may or may not be a part of the same series. Secondly, they connect with texts from other media and specifically with literary texts. In both cases, the intertextual link can be a sign of tribute, a critical comment, or a means of self-reflection. Ultimately, however, these links are a form of aesthetic play that reveals new similarities between digital games and traditional media for artistic expression.

‘The Cake is (Not) a Lie:’ Intertextuality as a Form of Play in Digital Games

East-West Cultural Passage

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Since Julia Kristeva’s first use of the term in the late 20th century, intertextuality has given rise to one of the literary theories most frequently applied...

‘The Cake is (Not) a Lie:’ Intertextuality as a Form of Play in Digital Games

Publié en ligne: 26 déc. 2019

Pages: 90 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ewcp-2019-0006

Mots clés
intertextuality, aesthetic play, digital games, game criticism, game philology

© 2019 Diana Melnic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

‘The Cake is (Not) a Lie:’ Intertextuality as a Form of Play in Digital Games

Publié en ligne: 26 déc. 2019

Pages: 90 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ewcp-2019-0006

Mots clésintertextuality, aesthetic play, digital games, game criticism, game philology

© 2019 Diana Melnic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
intertextuality, aesthetic play, digital games, game criticism, game philology