Abstract

Videogames often implicate players in the social process of leadership by frequently casting player-characters in the role of leaders. From starship commanders to city planners, players are often given the power to wield authority and make granular decisions that influence the lives of virtual beings. Despite this, leadership remains an underexplored topic in the game studies field. This thesis addresses this gap by drawing on scholarship from leadership studies and game studies to analyze the representations of leadership embedded in BioWare’s videogame Dragon Age: Inquisition. Using a hermeneutic close reading and the game analysis toolkit, it investigates the theme of leadership across 120 hours of gameplay. Through this method, I provide a definition for how to conceptualize and define acts of leadership in videogames to examine how Dragon Age: Inquisition constructs opportunities for players to perform actions that are conventionally associated with leadership. The thesis further analyzes the ideologies underpinning what it means to be a leader in this game, examining how these ideas are written into narrative contexts and designed into gameplay mechanics to subjectivize players into becoming “player-leaders.” It will also address the player’s capacity for incorporating alternative leadership practices into their gameplay. By applying leadership theories to an analysis of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I demonstrate how these lenses offer novel frameworks for scholars to understand and interpret the social dynamics that emerge between players and virtual characters in videogames.