Postmodern texts like videogames challenge traditional notions of text-reader relations by placing more emphasis on the reader/player's role in generating meaning. In videogames, the player determines how to interact with and play through the narrative, making choices that affect the story, and without player participation and choices, the game does not function at all. However, offline single-player games still require players to follow the producer's predetermined narrative in order to progress. So while games empower player choice, the producer establishes the overall structure and rules of the game world.

1. How do postmodern texts challenge traditional text-reader relations? Postmodern Mediacase study 2 - videogames

2. Traditional text-reader relations The text is central to the generation of meaning The reader responds to what the text says The text = Book film TV programme newspaper magazine webpage videogame radio programme This privileges the position of the producer / author – they are more important than us, mere readers

3. Traditional text-reader relations Marxist media / cultural studies theorist, Stuart Hall argues that we adopt one of three possible positions when ‘reading’ a text: Preferred reading – where we fully agree with what we ‘read’ Negotiated reading – where we partly agree, partly disagree Oppositional reading - where we fully disagree with what we ‘read’ These ideas are old – are they still true? Roland Barthes, film & cultural studies theorist, proclaimed ‘the death of the author and the birth of the reader’ in relation to film This is a rejection of the notion of the auteur (author) as the supreme dictator of meaning in the text

4. Traditional text-reader relations Do videogames challenge these ideas of traditional text-reader relations? Is the producer or the player in control of how a player makes sense of a game?

5. Traditional text-reader relations Arguably, videogames mark the end of traditional text-reader relations It is the player who determines how to play and how to interact with the narrative structure of the game – whether to play by the rules or not, whether to use cheat codes or not Without the player, there is no game – if the player doesn’t play, then nothing happens – the player is in total control If watching a film and you fall asleep, the film continues, you miss part of the story – the film’s characters know the story but you don’t Online gaming – nothing happens without the active participation of the players – no game without the players

6. Traditional text-reader relations Just as arguably, it can be said that videogames do not mark the end of traditional text-reader relations Offline gaming – you are dependent on following the narrative of the game to make progress – that narrative is written by the producers, not the player Are videogames the first medium to offer the ‘reader’ narrative choices? No http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy