From fight to testimony. Audiovisual and interactive representations of cancer in video games (abstract: P. 16)

Abstract

This article analyzes the intersection between cancer-one of the leading causes of death in contemporary society – and one of the most important forms of media in twentieth-century popular culture: video games. An analysis was conducted of messages conveyed by eight videogames launched in the last 15 years with narratives on the disease, patients, and cancer treatment and outcomes. The findings point to a narrative construction that depicts the most common features of the disease, focusing on social empowerment through the use of science, social support, and spiritual convictions.