Travelers in Another World – BSc thesis
Title: Travelers in Another World: How Game Experience in Genshin Impact Inspires Retellings –
Analyzing immersion in Genshin Impact to gain a deeper understanding of its impact on retellings
Authors: Miranda Greting, Xiehui Mao
Institution: Stocholm University (SU), Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV), Sweden
Date and language: Spring term 2022, English
Type: Thesis at BSc level degree project 15 HP (sv: Självständigt arbete på grundnivå [kandidatexamen])
Key words: Video Games, Genshin Impact, Retellings, Immersion, Diegesis, Culture, Cultural Immersion, Fanfiction, Fanart
Advisor: Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari
Abstract
This study focuses on analyzing players’ immersive experience in a particular game and exploring how immersion affects the creation of retellings inspired by games.
Retellings can be defined as stories constructed out of game play experience, creating a narrative that exists separately from the actual narrative play in the game. They can be described as artifacts co-created by players and the games they play. Over the past decades, retellings have become increasingly common in the form of different mediums such as writing, art, or animation. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding which factors inspire people to create retellings. This study aims to partially explore this knowledge gap by examining whether there is a connection between immersive experiences in a game and the inspiration to create retellings.
This study focuses on the game Genshin Impact (interchangeably called Genshin) and the written or artistic retellings it has inspired, specifically fanfiction and fanart. Immersion is the feeling of being part of a game world. Two aspects of immersion are diegetic elements; everything in a game world perceivable by in-game characters, and culture, through possibilities to become immersed in and learn more about cultures portrayed in a game. The connection between immersion and retellings was explored through the research question: How does immersion, specifically through diegetic elements and culture, inspire players to create retellings of a particular game?
A case study with the purpose of exploratory research was conducted, exploring the connection between immersion and the creation of retellings. A questionnaire was posted to two social media sites, which gathered 1606 answers about retelling creation and game experience in Genshin Impact. A total of eight semi-structured interviews with retelling creators were conducted, then coded and thematized using thematic analysis, resulting in three overarching themes; Game Experience, Culture, and Retelling Creation. The growth rate of the amount of Genshin-inspired retellings on the organization of transformative works ArchiveOfOurOwn was also analyzed during the course of the study.
Conclusions that could be made are that there is a link between immersion in a game and the creation of retellings, especially in the form of character attachment. In Genshin Impact cultural immersion plays an integral part as well, both in the form of elements that reflect reality and can be related to, and the game’s own extensive worldbuilding and storytelling, containing a myriad of connections for the player to figure out. Characters are also deeply intertwined with their culture, making cultural aspects a part of retellings. Immersion in Genshin Impact could serve as a stepping stone for learning more about different cultures and mythologies. Positives were found in feelings of familiarity and unexpected parallels between cultures, and negatives were found in inaccurate portrayal and colorism.
Some of these conclusions may be applicable to games and media as a whole, specifically that character attachment and immersive worldbuilding can inspire people to create retellings. Cultural immersion also goes hand in hand with accurate portrayal, as the opposite can result in an immersive cultural disconnect, especially for people from that culture. Both of these are areas for future research.