The relation between the hero in electronic games and in film

Abstract

Electronic games have acquired an ever greater importance not only as entertainment media, but also as potent and wide ranging cultural objects. In the present paper we begin a debate on the building of the hero in electronic digital games, while comparing that character to the Hollywood hero. From that starting point, we think the relations between the public of the games and that of cinema, and how each public relates to the hero in one media and the other. We find differences and similarities, and we stress the issue of the challenge, a formal element in games, which is important because it demands action and ability from the player so that the game can happen and the plot, when there is one, can develop.