Issue 5.1: How Tolkien Cast a Spell on Gaming
Issue 5.1: How Tolkien Cast a Spell on Gaming
The Fantasy Genre's Triumphant Journey, from The Lord of the Rings to The Elder Scrolls [A Literary, Narrative, and Historical Analysis]
Game & Word Volume 5, Issue 2: Sunday, March 19, 2023
Publisher: Jay Rooney
Author, Graphics, Research: Jay Rooney
Logo: Jarnest Media
Founding Members:
Le_Takas, from Luzern, Switzerland (Member since April 14, 2022)
Ela F., from San Diego, CA (Member since April 24, 2022)
Alexi F., from Chicago, IL (Member since May 13, 2022)
Elvira O., from Mexico City, Mexico (Member since May 18, 2022)
John H., from Doral, FL (Member since March 3, 2023)
Special Thanks:
YOU, for reading this newsletter!
Table of Contents
Summary & Housekeeping
Feature: “How Tolkien Cast a Spell on Gaming” (~23 minute read)
Food for Talk: Discussion Prompts
Further Reading
Game & Word-of-Mouth
Footnotes
Summary
This week, we discuss the appeal of magic in stories, particularly in the fantasy genre. We trace the history of fantasy and its ubiquitous magical tropes from their origins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s richly-textured setting of Middle Earth, all the way through Dungeons & Dragons to the blockbuster open-world RPGs of today (Skyrim, The Witcher, et al). We examine the main draws of these enduring magical tropes, setting the stage to examine how their influence extends beyond fantasy and into video game design more broadly.
Announcements
🎮👨💻📊 Game & Word at GDC this Week! 🎊🥃🌉
REMINDER: Game & Word will be at the 2023 Game Developers Conference (GDC) all week. As such, next Sunday’s issue may be delayed or postponed. I’ll do my best to get it out in time, but if you know anything about GDC, you know how crazy packed and busy it gets!
If any of my readers are also going or live in San Francisco, and want to meet up, let me know! Always up to grab some bites or a drink in the City by the Bay! 🙂
🧙♀️🪄📚 Book Giveaway Reminder! 🎁🔮✨
To commemorate the launch of Volume 5, I’m super excited to announce that J.V. Hilliard, author of the bestselling Warminster saga of fantasy novels (and one video game currently in development!), has graciously given Game & Word a signed copy of The Last Keeper and Vorodin’s Lair, the first two books (out of four planned titles) in the series, for one lucky subscriber to win at the end of March!
Remember, all you need to do is be subscribed to Game & Word by March 31st, 2023 at 11:59pm PDT. Hurry, there’s not much time left!
🎧🎙️💬 Game & Word Podcast + Speaking Tour 📢🌐📲
The Game & Word Podcast Guesting Tour continues in full force! Here are the most recently-published recordings (if you enjoy the recordings, go ahead and hit “like” or leave a nice review for the episode; it really helps all these wonderful hosts out!):
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
Previous Issues
NOTE: Game & Word is a reader-supported publication. Free issues are available to all, free of charge, for the first six (6) weeks after their publication date, after which they’ll be archived (podcasts and videos will always remain free).
Archived issues are archived and only accessible to paid subscribers. To access articles from the Game & Word archive, support my work, and keep this newsletter free and available to all, upgrade your subscription today:
Volume 1 (The Name of the Game): Issue 1 ● Issue 2 ● Issue 3 ● Issue 4
Volume 2 (Yo Ho Ho, It’s a Gamer’s Life for Me): Issue 1 ● Issue 2 ● Issue 3 ● Bonus 1 ● Issue 4 ● Issue 5 ● Issue 6 ● Issue 7 ● Bonus 2 ● Issue 8 ● Bonus 3
Volume 3 (Game Over Matter): Intro ● Issue 1 ● Issue 2 ● Issue 3 ● Podcast 1 ● Issue 4 ● Video Podcast 1 ● Bonus 1 ● Issue 5 ● Podcast 2 ● Issue 6 ● Issue 7 ● Issue 8 ● Issue 9 ● Podcast 3 ● Bonus 2
Volume 4 (Tempus Ludos): Intro ● Issue 1 ● Video Podcast 1 ● Video Podcast 2 ● Issue 2 ● Issue 3 ● Issue 4 ● Issue 5 ● Podcast 1 ● Issue 6 ● Issue 7 ● Issue 8 ● Issue 9
Not ready to commit to a paid subscription? You can also help offset my caffeine costs by chipping in for the price of a cup of joe:
Introduction: “How Tolkien Cast a Spell on Gaming”
⚖️⚖️⚖️ ETHICS DISCLOSURE ⚖️⚖️⚖️
This article contains affiliate links. If you click on any such link and purchase the linked product, Game & Word gets a small cut of the sale. This helps keep the newsletter sustainable without needing to put up more paywalls or ads.
🔥🔥🔥 CONTENTIOUS TOPIC ADVISORY 🔥🔥🔥
This series contains discussions of Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion (including "Fringe” Religious Movements) and the Occult. Game & Word makes zero claims on the veracity (or lack thereof) of any of the religious or spiritual beliefs, opinions, and practices discussed in this article. Similarly, Game & Word does not take a stance on anyone else’s stances (or non-stances) about said practices.
Game & Word’s coverage of these topics is purely academic, and our goal is to simply present the facts along with any important nuance, debate, or other relevant background info. What you do with or how you interpret this information is not our concern. As the Garo Tribe famously declared, belief or disbelief rests with you.
Also, play nicely in the comments! Disagreement and debate is fine, but Game & Word will not allow comments made primarily (or solely) to disparage other people’s faith(s). I will personally nuke such comments, and repeat offenses will put you at risk for a ban… as will simply being a jerk. Whatever that entails is entirely at my discretion.
As with every other topic covered here, Game & Word aims to provide a space for respectful conversations and debates in good faith. If you’ve got a problem with that, then go touch grass.
💡💡💡 POINT OF CLARIFICATION 💡💡💡
To more easily distinguish between “stage” magic and “for realsies” magic, most practitioners spell the latter with a “k” at the end, as “magick.” However, this is a fairly recent convention, having been popularized by the notorious 20th Century British
philandereroccultist, Aleister Crowley.As we’ll soon see, “magic” is already enough of an “othering” term as it is, and I believe that adding the “k” subtly contributes to the further marginalization of an already heavily marginalized spiritual practice.
Therefore, while I acknowledge people’s preferences as to how to spell it, I’ve opted to use the original spelling. If you’re used to spelling it as “magick” or are unclear if I’m referring to the stage or supernatural variety, remember that I’m talking about the latter, unless otherwise noted.
“Magic is at the core of myths.” ~Colin Farrell
“If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future.” ~Danielle Steel
Let’s start this article off with a little thought experiment. When you read the word “fantasy,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
…it’s a wizard, wasn’t it? Or if not a wizard, some form of magic user. That’s because magic is such a staple of fantasy fiction that it’s become practically inextricable from the genre. Try and imagine a hit fantasy series without magic—you can’t! Even fantasy stories in which magic is more subdued or sidelined still feature magic is part of the world’s fabric. Magic and fantasy are as iconic a duo as ranch dressing and pizza, cows and Cabernet, or peanut butter and lettuce.
And people LOVE fantasy. While it was all the rage for a time after J.R.R. Tolkien birthed the genre in the 60s (more on that in a bit), fantasy would eventually became marginalized as “dorky" and therefore relegated to those kids who’d get shoved into trash cans at school.1 But throughout the 21st Century, first really gradually and then all at once, fantasy became cool again.
The Harry Potter books have brought joy and wonder to entire generations of geeky outcast kids. Game of Thrones, HBO’s TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga, was (and remains) the most-watched show of the 21st Century, and perhaps the last true cultural touchstone with actual mass, mainstream appeal. And, of course, fantasy remains the thematic genre of choice for video game RPGs from Diablo to Skyrim.
Fact of the matter is, people really dig this stuff. But why is that so? What is the… ahem, MAGIC behind this genre?
💡💡💡 POINT OF CLARIFICATION 💡💡💡
Fantasy is a broad genre that encompasses many different sub-genres, each with their own unique characteristics and tropes. Two of the most popular sub-genres within fantasy are high fantasy and sword and sorcery. While these sub-genres share some similarities, they also have distinct differences that set them apart from each other (and other fantasy sub-genres, obviously).
High fantasy, also known as epic fantasy, is characterized by its grand scope and sweeping narrative. High fantasy stories typically take place in a fictional world filled with fantastical creatures and races. These stories often involve epic quests and battles between good and evil, with powerful magic and ancient prophecies playing a key role. A classic example of high fantasy is (of course) J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
On the other hand, Sword & Sorcery is characterized by its focus on action and adventure. These stories typically feature a lone hero or small group of adventurers who travel through a dangerous and unpredictable world, encountering a plenty of foes and obstacles along the way. Sword & Sorcery stories often feature intense, fast-paced action sequences and a heavy emphasis on swordplay and other forms of combat—making it a particularly attractive thematic genre for video games.
Some classic examples of Sword & Sorcery include Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian (another major influence on modern fantasy, second perhaps only to The Lord of the Rings) and Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
The Hobbit With a Thousand Faces
Although the term “fantasy” as a designation for a specific category of genre fiction is a surprisingly modern application, the elements that are now ubiquitous in the fantasy genre can be traced back far beyond even the origins of modern fiction, and all the way back to ancient folklore, epic myths, and fairy tales. In these tales, the magicians storytellers conjured mythical creatures and powerful magical abilities to create unique, fantastical worlds for their audiences to get lost in.
All of this is to say that magic has been part of fantasy literature since literature was even a thing. In fact, many of the most iconic of the earliest literary works, such as Homer's The Odyssey and The Iliad, are arguably fantasy works,2 and often feature gods, goddesses, and other supernatural entities who grant wishes and use magical powers. You know, staple fantasy elements.
But the “ur” works of “fantasy” as we know it today, are indisputably J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is impossible to overstate the influence these books had on the genre—in fact, they practically invented the fantasy genre!
For starters, The Lord of the Rings set the high bar for intricate worldbuilding and complex use of archetypes that remain fantasy hallmarks to this day. Middle Earth—the books’ setting (or “fully-realized secondary world,” if you want to get all snobby and technical about it)—was jam-packed with complex and nuanced characters, intricate cultures, a rich history, and even its own constructed languages, all of which has had a lasting impact on the legions of subsequent fantasy authors whose careers his masterpiece had spawned, as well as the countless works of fantasy they unleashed on the world. Indeed, complex worldbuilding and characterization are practically genre requirements for modern epic fantasy works.
Speaking of archetypes, Tolkien's use of them had as profound an impact on the fantasy genre as his worldbuilding did. The archetypes in The Lord of the Rings were based on ancient mythology and folklore, and—being archetypal—they continue to resonate with readers across the globe and across generations on a deeply subconscious, almost primal level. Frodo, for example, represents the unwitting hero on a journey (Hero, Everyman Archetypes), while Gandalf is the wise mentor figure (Sage Archetype). These archetypes have become a staple of not just fantasy, but all of storytelling, period.
(By the way, for more on archetypes, be sure to check out Game & Word Volume 3, particularly its exploration of St. Carl Gustav Jung (z”l, RIP, peace be upon him, and now his watch has ended), the modern mystic who revealed the concept of archetypes to the world!)
Another way Tolkien influenced future fantasy authors was through his use of epic themes. “Epic,” according to our friends at the New Oxford American Dictionary, being defined as:
epic — (noun) a long film, book, or other work portraying heroic deeds and adventures or covering an extended period of time: a Hollywood biblical epic.
(adj.) heroic or grand in scale or character: his epic journey around the world | a tragedy of epic proportions.
The Lord of the Rings is an epic story of good versus evil, of heroes embarking on a quest to save the world. This kind of grand, sweeping narrative has become a hallmark of fantasy, particularly epic fantasy.
Finally, Tolkien influenced the fantasy genre by making magic an integral part of Middle Earth.3 We'll dive deeper into this momentarily.
As time went on, authors would build on Tolkien’s use of things like constructed languages, magic, and medieval settings by adding it to their works. In a process described by Erik Davis’ seminal technomantic chronicle TechGnosis as “achieving a kind of archetypal quality through the brute repetition of its own clichés alone,”4 these tropes became a staple of fantasy literature, with most stories featuring at least some of them, in some form.
One Trope, to Rule Them All
But wait… what are these clichés, you say? And to that, I say “do you really need to ask?” But just to indulge your feigned ignorance, let’s turn to Davis again: “the hackneyed majesty of heroic fantasy, the neomedieval genre of strapping swordsmen, bearded wizards, gloating goblins, and D-cup princesses.”
C’mon, you know them all by heart, even if you don’t read fantasy. And since magic, as we’ve established, is so integral to fantasy, it logically follows that the same magical tropes cliches tropes5 similarly keep popping up in fantasy novel after fantasy novel from here until the ends of time.
Wait, do I really have to spell them out for you? C’mon, you know these as well! You’ve got spellcasting and summoning, elixirs and potions, magical swords and staffs, for starters. Then you’ve got magical creatures such as dragons, elves, and unicorns, as well as magical artifacts such as rings and amulets.
Got it? Good.
But how did magic become so ubiquitous in fantasy?
Again, we have our good friend (or, dare I say, Sage Archetype) J.R.R. Tolkien to thank. The Lord of the Rings didn’t just introduce modern readers to elves and dwarves, but also to a rich and intricate system of magic that still sets the bar for fantasy fiction.
Like so much else in the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's magic system was heavily influenced by mythology and folklore. In Middle Earth, magic is not an abstract concept like in our world, but a tangible force that can be wielded by certain individuals. Magic users in Tolkien's world are known as "wizards" or "maiar,"6 and they are capable of performing feats of great power.
One of the archetypal magical tropes that Tolkien introduced is the magical artifact. In The Lord of the Rings, the One Ring grants its wearer immense power… but at a great cost. The idea of a magic ring that can grant its wearer great power deeply resonated with readers, and has become a staple of the fantasy genre, to say nothing of the countless magic pendants, amulets, helms, boots, swords, shields, goblets, spectacles, daggers, tomes, and staves that followed in the One Ring’s wake.
Yet another archetypal magical trope that Tolkien introduced is the magical language. In Middle Earth, Elvish is a powerful tool of magic, capable of shaping the world around the speaker. This idea of a magical language isn’t exactly new—and, in fact, language as magic is a core principle in many esoteric traditions. Old languages like Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit, and Latin are believed to have magical power, and casting spells through incantation is literally making magic with words. However, Tolkien popularized the idea enough to make it as much of a staple of modern fantasy as all his other archetypal magical tropes.
Basically, every fantasy fan and creator owes a colossal debt to The Lord of the Rings.
That said, not all ubiquitous fantasy tropes come from Tolkien. Remember how we talked about folklore a bit earlier? Well, turns out there’s a LOT more folklore out in the world than just Nordic and Germanic mythology!
For example: every RPG fan on this planet has heard the term mana. It’s so ubiquitous we don’t even think about what it truly means. In fantasy, it means magical energy—basically, the amount of “fuel” a wizard has available to cast spells with.
But did you know that mana actually originated far across the ocean?
In Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian cultures, mana is a spiritual energy or power that can be harnessed by individuals or communities. Mana is the life-force that everything is imbued with—people, animals, plants, even inanimate objects. Even locations are imbued with mana—the most sacred of which, like Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, being positively bursting with mana.
Video games, particularly Dungeon Master, Ultima, and Final Fantasy, were among the first video games to use the term “mana” as a sort of spellcaster’s “fuel,” and the concept has stuck ever since.
The video game conception of mana is clearly a departure from its traditional cultural context; but it’s a prime example of both the concept’s ongoing significance and relevance, as well as the myriad cultural influences on video games which this publication seeks to highlight.
Also, budding fantasy writers and narrative designers, take note: there’s a wide-open niche of future fantasy novels that more explicitly acknowledge and center mana as conceived in the spiritual beliefs of Pacific Islander cultures. For a concept that has had such outsized influence on practically every fantasy RPG ever committed to code, I’d say we owe it nothing less!
The Spellbinding Spell’s Spellbindingness
Right, so we’ve established that magic has long been a beloved aspect of stories, practically since we first began telling stories around cave fires eons ago, all the way down to The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. But why?! What is it about magic that makes it so appealing in stories, and why has it become such an integral part of the fantasy genre?
Let’s take a stab at this!
Escapism
One of magic’s most attractive qualities is how it can take us to new and fantastical worlds, thus escaping from the soul-crushing drudgery of our everyday lives. By immersing us in a world where magic exists—and remember, thanks to mirror neurons, our brains process stories as if we were actually experiencing them firsthand—storytellers can create a sense of wonder and adventure that’s simply not possible in everyday life as we live it. Basically, magic gives us agency—it allows us to escape from reality, and enter a world where anything is possible.7 And where else have we read about agency being a literal pillar of self-actualization?
Wonder
Magic in stories also offers a sense of wonder and awe that is difficult to find in real life (unless you REALLY know how to look for it). When you’re stuck in traffic for an hour getting home from work, imagining a world where anything is possible and fantastical creatures roam freely is incredibly appealing. Who wouldn’t crave a sense of magic and wonder in their lives after getting yelled at by their boss/spouse/kids/bill collector/etc. for the umpteenth time before lunch? Whether it's the discovery of a hidden world filled with magic, or the unveiling of a magical artifact that holds untold power, the Fantasy genre offers sense of wonder that is practically unmatched in storytelling (with the possible exception of its sister genre, Science Fiction).
Introspection
Magic in stories can also be used as a means to explore human nature and the human condition. By using magical elements to create challenges and obstacles for characters to overcome, storytellers invite us to delve deeper into their characters' motivations, desires, and fears. Whether it's a wizard struggling with the temptation of dark magic, or a young hero learning to harness her own magical abilities, the use of magic in fantasy allows us to explore the human experience in new and exciting ways, from the safety of our couch.
Symbolism and Allegory
Finally, magic in storytelling can be used as a powerful tool for symbolism and allegory. By imbuing magical elements with symbolic meaning, storytellers can explore complex themes and ideas in a way that is accessible to all types of audiences. For example, The Lord of the Rings uses the One Ring as a symbol for power and corruption, while Harry Potter uses the idea of magic to explore themes of friendship, loyalty, acceptance, prejudice, and the struggle between good and evil.
Basically, magic in fiction, and particularly in the fantasy genre, offers readers a sense of escapism, wonder, and exploration that is difficult to find elsewhere. By creating fantastical worlds and imbuing them with magical elements, fantasy writers (regardless of medium) invite their audiences explore complex themes and ideas in an entertaining and meaningful manner. Whether it's the discovery of a hidden world or the unveiling of a magical artifact, fictional magic has the power to captivate readers of all ages and transport them to a world of endless possibility.
Silicon & Sorcery
The impact of Tolkien's work (including the use of magic as a narrative device) has extended beyond literature, influencing other forms of media such as… *checks notes* tabletop gaming and video games. Now, most emerging literary genres will, at some point, make the leap from the page onto other mediums. But while genres like Romance and Adventure spread their wings on “the silver screen,”8 it was in video games that fantasy found its most enthusiastic reception.
Indeed, fantasy has dominated the gaming industry since its inception, with trailblazing titles like Dungeon, Adventure, and Zork, all the way to today’s best-sellers, like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, and Hogwarts: Legacy.
But… how did fantasy become so popular in video games?
Well, to answer that question, we first have to examine how fantasy became popular in analog games.
In the 1970s, tabletop roleplaying games exploded into the zeitgeist with the release of a little roleplaying game (RPG) called Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). D&D allowed players to create their own characters and embark on epic quests, fighting monsters and discovering treasures along the way.
The game's focus on improvisation, storytelling and imagination, as well as its use of dice and labyrinthine game mechanics, charted a whole new course for the fantasy genre. Oh, and D&D’s creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, also created a digital version, Dungeon, which lit a fire in the gaming community that has since grown into an industry-wide conflagration.
Video games were practically made for RPGs. Instead of a harried Game Master (GM) calculating and keeping track of countless stats, checks, monsters, and statuses, the game could simply do it! And you didn’t need to wrangle a group together to take 3-4 hours out of their weekly schedules to play. Sure, you lost the open-ended, freewheeling nature of tabletop RPGs, but for many players, it was a tradeoff they were more than willing to accept.
Meanwhile, graphic adventures like King’s Quest and Shadowgate furthered fantasy’s advance into the nascent medium. There is a lot of overlap between fantasy readers and video game developers, so naturally, fantasy was often the thematic genre of choice for plenty of projects.
But why the overlap?
As J.V. Hilliard astutely observed in our recent podcast episode, fantasy readers tend to be imaginative, creative, and open-minded people. You know, the same type of person who’d be drawn to work in a creative industry, like gaming.
And while fantasy (which is all about that magic) and computers (which is all about that science and technology) might sound like an odd mix, they’re not as antithetical as you might think. As we’ll examine further in a future issue, magic and computers are merely two different technologies designed for the same goal. Stay tuned!
Anyway, video games and fantasy became digital soulmates, and remained so throughout the medium’s short but very eventful history. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, video games truly began to emerge as the optimal platform for fantasy storytelling. Early titles like Ultima and The Elder Scrolls, which gave players magical fantasy worlds that they could actually explore and interact with, instead of just imagining them or watching them on a screen.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Japanese RPG (JRPG) developers pumped out genre codifiers Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy and practically perfected the turn-based RPG down to a science—as much in terms of mechanics as in aesthetics and thematics (this genre is notorious for being overstuffed with clichés, even by fantasy standards!).
Then, in the early 2000s, Diablo’s hugely successful launch helped to popularize the action RPG (ARPG), which combined elements of traditional RPGs with fast-paced, real-time, hack-and-slash combat. The game's focus on loot and item collection, as well as its dark, gothic atmosphere, took the gaming world by storm, and had a significant impact on the themes, mechanics, and aesthetics of fantasy video games, some of which we’ve explored in this very newsletter!
And now more recently, games like Skyrim have continued to push the boundaries of what is possible in the fantasy genre, offering players even more immersive experiences with expansive and lore-dripping open worlds. These games often feature complex narrative arcs, impressively granular character customization, and a veritable gumbo pot of gameplay mechanics—everything from crafting and survival to exploration and combat.
Thanks to the… *ahem* magic of video games, players can finally live out their childhood fantasies of shooting fireballs from their fingers, levitating, and summoning a demon pet.
But some people don’t stop at this sort of fictional magic, immersive as it often is. No, sir! Some folks actually try to bring the infinite potential we call "magic” into our everyday, real-life world. They always have, since time immemorial, and the always will, as long as we exist as a species. And their practices and traditions have also had a big influence on video games.
Next time, we’ll examine the weird and wonderful world of real-world magicians, their traditions and methods, and their influence on video games.
Until then, alakazam!
~Jay
Food for Talk: Discussion Prompts
While you wait for the next issue, I invite you to mull over the following discussion prompts. Please reply to this email with your answers, post them in the comments, or post them in this week’s subscriber chat thread—I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Do you remember the first time you read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? What were your first impressions?
Do High Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery resonate with you, or are they too laden with clichés?
What’s your favorite fantasy game? Can be either a tabletop game or a video game.
If you’re a fantasy fan, what draws you to the genre?
What about the magical tropes? Which are your favorites, and why?
If you were a witch or wizard in a fantasy story, what kind of magic would you practice, and why?
Further Reading
<INTRO>
TechGnosis by Erik Davis — Very thorough and surprisingly readable analysis of the mystical side of computers, including the marriage between fantasy and video games. Required reading for any budding mystic trying to make sense of this crazy techno-capitalist dystopia we now live in.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien — Whether you’re reading it for the first time, or the 1,000th, it’s never a bad time to dive into the timeless masterpiece that birthed the genre most responsible for elevating magic, wonder, and mystery in the modern zeitgeist.
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Kit (5th Edition) by Wizards of the Coast — Thanks to shows like Stranger Things and podcasts like Critical Role, it’s clear that D&D is having a “moment.” There’s never been a better time to get into one of the funnest and most versatile games ever created. This kit will give you everything you need to start adventuring.
The History of Mana: How an Austronesian Concept Became a Video Game Mechanic by Alex Golub, in The Appendix — A fascinating deep dive chronicling the surprising journey of mana from its origins in Native Polynesian religion to its ubiquity in fantasy video games worldwide.
Games Featured:
Dragon Quest, developed and published by Square Enix — Nintendo Switch [Bundle: First Three Games, Remastered]
Diablo, developed and published by Activision Blizzard — GOG
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, developed and published by Bethesda Softworks — Steam | Nintendo Switch | Amazon Alexa [ED. NOTE: Yes, seriously]
Game & Word-of-Mouth: How to Support My Work
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this content and would like to read more of it, there are many ways you can show your support for Game & Word. First, hit the heart button at the top or bottom of the post—it really helps with my discoverability! You can also show your support by sharing this issue with your social networks and subscribing to Game & Word (if you haven't already).
Finally, if you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription, well, that’s the best way to support this publication. You can upgrade your subscription using the following button, or in your account settings (note that you can only upgrade your subscription on the web, not through the app):
See you next week!
Tags
#magic #history #philosophy #metaphysics #religion #spirituality
#Abracodeabra
Footnotes
Speaking from personal experience here.
English majors, before you impale me with those pitchforks, let me tell you that I’m aware that there’s a difference between folklore, “high” literature (like Homer), and mere “genre fiction” of the sort we’ll get into shortly. But for the sake of space and simplicity, I will apply the term “fantasy” equally, across the board. Thank you for understanding. Please don’t send your Goodreads reviewers after me.
Hey, look over there! There’s a Substacker badmouthing the Oxford comma! Get ‘em! (Phew, that was close…)
Magic, being practically an archetype onto itself, could’ve been lumped into the preceding paragraph about Tolkien’s use of archetypes. But since magic is kind of the point of this volume, I decided to mention it separately.
Davis, Erik. “TechGnosis,” page 216
In case you were wondering: a cliché is an overused trope.
I’m sure at least one of those terms sounds familiar to you.
Seen this way, on a more meta level, the various ways players use “cheats” like cheat codes, Game Genie/Game Shark, and game “mods” are, in their own way, a form of magic spell.
a.k.a. Hollywood
The funny thing about The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings being such foundational stories for modern fantasy is that if they came out today they'd probably be called subversive. Neither Bilbo nor Frodo are typical fantasy protagonists, which you can see in how a lot of expanded media basically try to frame Aragorn as the main character of Lord of the Rings. Because the long lost king is a more marketable character than some guy from a race that fell into obscurity out of pure laziness.