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The Empire Plays Back: Postcolonial Theory and Counter-Discourses of Representation in the Arab-Made Game Arabian Lords
Abstract
This chapter is in many ways inspired by The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures and addresses postcolonial issues developed by Fanon, Said, Bhabha, Spivak, and Mignolo. However, while much attention has been given to the literary activities of ‘writing back' to the colonial power, there has been little scholarship on postcolonial thoughts in game studies. Using Mignolo's notions of border thinking and epistemic disobedience, this chapter explores how digital games serve as alternative spaces of knowledge production and resistance. The study adopts both semiotic inspection and postcolonial methods to analyze Arabian Lords, an Arab-made video game, which seeks to challenge and counteract the stereotypical portrayal of the Orient as an uncivilized ‘Other' in opposition to the civilized West. The findings suggest that playing back to the center helps expand the postcolonial debate beyond its traditional boundaries. However, within this virtual space, complex sociocultural dynamics and experiences emerge, reshaping players' perceptions and imaginaries.
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