RELIGIOUS DIMENSION OF COMPUTER GAMES

Anton Sukhov
Assoc .Prof. Dr., Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Russian Federation, suhovband@mail.ru

Abstract
Modern computer games are huge virtual worlds that raise sophisticated social and even religious issues. The “external” aspect of the religious dimension of computer games focuses on the problem of the polysemantic relation of world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism) to computer games. The “inner” aspect represents transformation of monotheistic and polytheistic religions within the virtual worlds in the view of heterogeneity and genre differentiation of computer games (arcades, action games, role-playing games, strategies, simulators, hybrid genres).

Keywords: computer games, religion, game studies, religious studies, virtual reality, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, arcades, action games, shooters, role-playing games, strategies, simulators