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Esta investigación profundiza en el potencial cultural e identitario de los videojuegos de producción africana en el marco del poscolonialismo digital. Explora cómo la creación de videojuegos en África se articula con los marcos teóricos de la decolonialidad e investiga los códigos identitarios indígenas presentes en los héroes de los videojuegos africanos. A partir de los modelos de Kinsella (2015, 2023) y empleando métodos de análisis narrativo y de contenido visual, el estudio examina las representaciones heroicas en una muestra diversa de dieciséis videojuegos africanos, considerando tanto los elementos tangibles como los intangibles en tanto artefactos culturales. Mediante un marco de análisis referencial, se buscan códigos distintivos asociados a diversas representaciones de héroes en las culturas africanas, iluminando su relevancia cultural e identitaria en el contexto del poscolonialismo digital. El estudio se centra así en una lectura cultural de estas obras, atendiendo a su capacidad para condensar significados identitarios y simbólicos. La investigación pone de relieve que la representación de héroes en los videojuegos africanos encarna una amplia variedad de arquetipos, reflejando facetas matizadas de narrativas culturales e históricas y representando distintos roles y complejidades sociales. En este sentido, los videojuegos analizados no presentan figuras heroicas uniformes, sino construcciones diversas vinculadas a contextos culturales específicos. Asimismo, la inclusión de elementos culturales tangibles e intangibles en estos juegos resulta crucial, ya que ofrece una imagen vívida de la cultura material africana. Estos artefactos funcionan como algo más que simples adornos: actúan como vehículos de una narrativa educativa enraizada en la historia precolonial del continente. Además, la interrelación entre mitologías africanas y narrativas contemporáneas en estos videojuegos eleva su significado más allá del entretenimiento, constituyéndose en plataformas que celebran y preservan el folclore, las culturas y las tradiciones africanas, tendiendo un puente efectivo entre pasado y presente. Así, el conjunto de la muestra permite observar cómo estas producciones participan en la preservación y la transmisión cultural.
As highlighted in certain studies, “this new globalization has entailed a redistribution of symbolic power, providing cultures from the global South, previously underrepresented and/or stereotyped, the oppor-tunity to self–define using video games as a medium for cultural transmission” (Ramírez, 2021, p. 84). Under the umbrella of this neo–technical development, various theoretical and methodological streams have emerged, emphasizing how digital humanities, through diverse formats (websites, documentary repositories, interactive applications), can foster new knowledge production a thy from the Eurocentric paradigm (Risam, 2019; Risam and Gairola, 2020; Kim and Koh, 2021). This shift is particularly rele-vant in the African context, where creators like Thomas Shiva from Realm Games advocate for the use of technology to "tell their own stories”band “preserve their heritage in the digital realm” (Bartelson, 2022). This movement aligns with the need to decolonize not only power but also knowledge and the self (Singh and Kim, 2016), challenging the "coloniality of power" that historically suppressed non-European knowledge production (Quijano, in Walsh, 2005).Within this realm of digital postcolonialism (Jandrić and Kuzmanić 2015), one of the most effective tools for reconstructing and bringing visibility to cultural heritage is through video games (Balela and Mun-dy, 2015; Zeiler, 2017; Majewski, 2018). These digital artifacts serve as an excellent medium for the holistic recreation and expression of culture; wherein intangible aspects are neither ignored nor omit-ted in favour of the tangible. Differing from the views of the Frankfurt School (Theodor Adorno or Max Horkheimer), who proposed that the culture industry (film, radio, press, television) unilaterally tends towards individual uniformity (Sarr, 2018), other voices like Daniel Muriel (2021) emphasize the game's capacity to internally generate sturdy structures of identity that rupture the dominant logic. This capac-ity is exemplified by initiatives like the Cultural Heritage Game Jam (2021), which leveraged interactive media to celebrate the diversity of traditions and artifacts from marginalized civilizations, such as the Chachapoyas in Peru or the rock art of the Algerian Sahara.Embedded within the creation, development, and dissemination processes of specific video games are practices that challenge Western cultural traditions. This forms part of a digital postcolonialism that falls within the broader category of decoloniality, an endeavour that seeks to assert —using technology, in this case, interactive technology— the voices of individuals or groups historically marginalized by cer-tain historical dynamics (Ramírez, 2014). Decoloniality in this context seeks to dismantle the "global coloniality" that persisted after the Cold War (Castro-Gómez and Grosfoguel, 2007) by engaging with non-Western forms of knowledge. This involves a liberation of discourse, as advocated by thinkers like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1993), to recognize African social formations in their specific cultural and historical complexities rather than as mere copies of Western history (Sarr, 2018).This research delves into the role of African–made video games as significant elements with cultural and identity potential within theoretical currents linked to digital postcolonialism. It recognizes that African identity is not a monolithic block but a plural reality, integrating sub-Saharan Afrofuturism with North African traditions, such as the Amazigh culture (Hooper, 2023). To achieve this objective, this chapter posed the following research questions:RQ1: How does African video game production engage with the frameworks inherent in decolonial theo-ry? To address this query, we will draw from previous interpretations and works such as those by Garuba (2003) and Coetzee (2016), indicating that references to tradition (e.g., invoking heroes) symbolize mo-dernity and a break from pre–colonial perspectives. This includes movements like Sankofaism in Ghana, which seeks to recover an authentic African personality by returning to indigenous cultural heritage (De Witte & Meyer, 2012). Additionally, aligning with the propositions of Pijnaker & Spronk (2017) regarding technology's role in Africa and its connection to social and cultural construction, video games will be encompassed within this significant category. RQ2: What indigenous identity codes of the hero emerge within this genre of video games? This inquiry focuses on ethno-ludographic analysis (Ramírez, 2021) interpreting video games through the lens of cul-tural identity. Using Kinsella's models (2015, 2023) and employing narrative and visual content analysis (Neuendorf, 2016), a sufficiently broad and geographically diverse sample (n=16) has been selected to study African narratives and their self–representation through this technological format. The sample includes titles from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Rwanda, ensuring that the analysis captures the self-apprehension of these societies (Olaniyan, 1995).To address these inquiries, the research selected specific referential units, as established by Kinsella et al. (2015, 2023), categorized within the tangible and intangible elements inherent in video games, which are regarded as cultural artifacts (Balela and Mundy, 2015). Tangible elements include art, artifacts, and history, while intangible elements encompass language, religion, and folklore. The study also incorpo-rates the concept of the involved player (Anyó, 2020) and directed freedom (Navarro, 2016) to account for the interactive nature of the medium. Employing a referential analysis framework, the study sought distinct codes associated with diverse representations of heroes within African cultures.The results highlight that African video games often employ remediation and syncretism, particularly in the fighting genre. For instance, Leti Arts’ Africa’s Legends (2012–present) reimagines indigenous deities like the spider-god Kweku Anansi or the thunder god Shango (inspired by Yoruba mythology) as modern superheroes, similar to Western archetypes like Captain America or Thor (Tawia, 2016). These characters are often hyper-muscular and contextually adapted to contemporary times to inspire hope and empathy with local traditions. Furthermore, the research identifies the recurring use of masks as decorative elements, identity markers, or narrative axes, as seen in Mzito (Weza Interactive, 2016), where five spirits symbolize different facets of African life through their masks.Moreover, the study observes that these digital productions serve as platforms for historical memory. Games like African Heroes (by Serge A. Thaddée) shed light on real historical figures, such as Samory Touré or Mbalia Camara, using hyper-realistic designs to compete with Western productions and foster historical consciousness. Other titles, like The Wagadu Chronicles (Twin Drums, 2020), integrate a wide array of cultural artifacts —such as calabashes, kola nuts, and traditional board games like Oware— into their gameplay mechanics. This educational narrative, rooted in the continent's pre-colonial history, ele-vates video games beyond mere entertainment, constituting them as effective bridges between the past and the present for the preservation and transmission of African folklore and traditions.
