No-Places and Immersion in Open World Games: A Rock Star Case Study

Abstract

This study aims to understand the involvement and immersion present in some of Rockstar Games’ videogames. They were chosen due to their popularity, in addition to the high detail in the topography of Los Angeles and California as a whole, that portray a digital, playable version in which the player must face rivals, enemies and contenders in these modern simulacra systems. During the research, we found the transition from “movie space” to “game space” in the previously mentioned. Despite the proximity to reality, games still have their own worlds that differ from each other. The tested games feature a “world-building” concept that supports expanded and intense environments thanks to technical structures and “reality mechanisms” employed in the creation of digital California. The concept of immersion is present in the games through events that involve spatial, performance and narrative interaction. Despite the freedom provided within the game, it is possible to create stories and tell worlds through a transmedia area that connects the player to the environment.