THE REPRESENTATION OF EUROPEAN COLONIALISM IN AGE OF EMPIRES III =

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This graduation paper, containing six chapters, investigates the representation of European colonialism in Ensemble Studios’ Age of Empires III. To begin with, it offers a summary of common narratives of European colonialism found in traditional media. These narratives later serve as a framework of issues to explore European colonialism in the game. For the purpose of analyzing the game’s system in perpetuating common narratives about European colonialism, I adopted Chapman’s (2016)’s framework, according to which the system of a video game consists of simulation, epistemology, space and narrative. The study’s findings shed light on how Ensemble Studios’ game presents a version of the historical era that makes its implementation within the game’s system possible and appealing to their player base. While still keeping colonization as the main process of the game, through the careful selection of what to retain and what to avoid, Age of Empires III mitigates offensiveness when dealing with colonial atrocities done to Native Americans.