Date of Award
Spring 5-5-2023
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Communication and Digital Studies
Department Chair or Program Director
Anand Rao
First Advisor
Emily Crosby
Major or Concentration
Communication and Digital Studies
Abstract
Researchers have defined polysemy as a concept used to describe a word that can carry multiple different meanings depending on the context in which it is being used. This concept has also been applied to media in the way that film producers employ it within trailers and teasers, letting viewers interpret what is to come, in order to drive excitement and anticipation. In this paper, I explore the potential for polysemy within video games by taking a look into the 2022 game of the year, Elden Ring because it employs several different endings, leaving people with different interpretations of its story. I conducted my research via an online survey gathering participants by convenience sampling. Research findings suggest that polysemy is a concept that not only changes the scope of video games, but drastically improves the quality of a game. Future game developers should look to implement polysemy within future video game titles.
Recommended Citation
Vanderhoof, Ryan, "The Potential of Polysemy in Video Games: A Case Study of Elden Ring" (2023). Student Research Submissions. 538.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/538