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Triforce of Canon

Year 2025, Issue: 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı), 413 - 431, 22.05.2025

Ertuğrul Süngü , Nur Aleyna Sakoğlu

https://doi.org/10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287

Abstract

The subject of this article is "canon" in the video games. This study examines the formation of canon in video games. The foundation of this research is built upon the synthesis of existing studies on canon in various media, including film and literature. This is achieved through a literature review, which also highlights the absence of analysis on canon in video games. The methodology is close reading technique and comprises an examination of the criteria to be utilized in canon determination with examples from video games. The discussion assesses the implications of canonization for game design, storytelling, and immersion. By advancing the understanding of canon in video games, this research contributes to the advancement of academic discourse about canon.

Keywords

Canon Digital Games Game Studies Fan Studies Video Games

References

  • Asimos, V. (2018). Playing the Myth: Video Games as Contemporary Mythology. Implicit Religion, 21(1).
  • Benford, S., & Giannachi, G. (2008). Temporal trajectories in shared interactive narratives. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
  • Bostan, B. (2022). Dijital Oyunlar ve İnteraktif Anlatı. İstanbul: The Kitap.
  • Brooker, W. (1999). Internet fandom and the continuing narratives of Star Wars, Blade.
  • Carpenter, S. G. (2011). Narratives of a Fall: Star Wars fan fiction writers interpret Anakin Skywalker’s story (Master’s Thesis). University of Oregon.
  • Carreker, D. (2012). The Game Developer’s Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Lexicon for Professionals and Students. Cengage Learning.
  • Coleridge, S. T. (1817). Biographia literaria, or biographical sketches of my literary life and opinions.
  • Cook, R. T. (2013). Canonicity and normativity in massive, serialized, collaborative fiction. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 71(3), 271-276.
  • Cupalová, L. (2011). Fan fiction and its sources of inspiration in the canon with reference to the Harry Potter series.
  • Friedenthal, A. J. (2017). Retcon Game: Retroactive Continuity and the Hyperlinking of America.
  • Guerrero-Pico, M., & Scolari, C. A. (2016). Transmedia Storytelling and User-generated Content: A case study on crossovers. Cuadernos. Info, 183–200.
  • Hedman, J. (2021). A New Theory of the Offering of Video Game Add-On Products (Master’s Thesis). Copenhagen Business School.
  • Heron, M. J. (2017). Pacman’s Canon in C#: A Quantum Interpretation of Video Game Canon. The Computer Games Journal, 6(3), 135-151.
  • Larsen, B. A., & Carstensdóttir, E. (2023). “Anything a Guardian does is canonical”: Player understanding of Canon in destiny. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-computer Interaction, 7(CHI PLAY), 237–263.
  • Lebowitz, J., & Klug, C. (2011). Interactive storytelling for video games: A Player-centered Approach to Creating Memorable Characters and Stories. Taylor & Francis.
  • Lee, J. H., Clarke, R. I., Sacchi, S., & Jett, J. (2014). Relationships among video games: Existing standards and new definitions. Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 51(1), 1–11.
  • Liebler, R., & Chaney, K. (2007). Canon vs. Fanon: Folksonomies of Fan Culture. MIT Media in Transition. Locher, H. (2012). The idea of the canon and canon formation in art history. In Art history and visual studies in Europe (pp. 29–40).
  • MacKenzie, S. (2021). Film manifestos and global cinema cultures: A Critical Anthology. University of California Press.
  • Mago, Z. (2019). Easter eggs in Digital Games as a Form of Textual Transcendence (Case Study). Acta Ludologica, 2(2), 48–57.
  • McKnight, J. (2018). Headcanon & lore: owning the narrative. Avatar, Assembled: The Social and Technical Anatomy of Digital Bodies, 137-146.
  • Miller, C. H. (2004). Digital Storytelling 4E: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment.
  • Nihtilä, P. (2019). “The Zelda we have in our hearts”: virtual community on a video game fansite (Master’s Thesis). University of Jyväskylä.
  • Parker, F. (2013). Millions of voices: Star Wars, digital games, fictional worlds and franchise canon. Game On, Hollywood! Essays on the Intersection of Video Games and Cinema, 156-168.
  • Pearsall, J. (2008). The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. In Oxford University Press eBooks. Perron, B., Boudreau, K., Wolf, M. J., & Arsenault, D. (2022). Fifty Key Video games.
  • Ryan, N. M. (2015). Transmedia storytelling: industry buzzword or new narrative experience? StoryWorlds a Journal of Narrative Studies, 7(2), 1.
  • Scolari, C. A. (2013). Narrativas transmedia: cuando todos los medios cuentan. Deusto. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. (1996). In Oxford University Press eBooks.
  • Thomas, B. (2007). Canons and fanons: Literary fanfiction online. Dichtung Digital. Journal Für Kunst Und Kultur Digitaler Medien, 9(1), 1–11.
  • Wollen, P. (2003). The Auteur Theory. In Film Theory: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies (pp. 39–57). Routledge.
  • FIGURE REFERENCES
  • Figure 1. Taken from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game by writers.
  • Figure 2. https://fictionphile.com/legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-best-zelda-game/
  • Figure 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKm43kUWYM
  • Figure 4. https://aminoapps.com/c/zelda/page/blog/confusing-rito-mural-in-castle-town-tphd/BQot_wujeRVvwkQlBbkQ2ojR6d350B
  • Figure 5. https://www.gamesradar.com/ghost-of-tsushima-ps4-exclusives-easter-egg-pays-tribute-to-god-of-war-horizon-and-more/
  • Figure 6. https://zeldauniverse.net/2020/09/19/zeldas-study-the-many-mario-enemies-in-links-awakening/
  • Figure 7. https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadredemption/comments/919zxg/thoughts_on_this_red_dead_ book_easter_egg_in_gta_v/
  • INTERNET REFERENCES
  • Bailey, K. (2023, December 8). Tears of the Kingdom Devs leave door open for playable Zelda in potential future release- IGN. IGN. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.ign.com/articles/tears-of-the-kingdom-devs-leave-door-open-for-playable-zelda-in-potential-future-release
  • Hayton, P. (2020, January 24). Game remakes vs remasters: what’s the difference? TechRadar. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.techradar.com/news/game-remakes-vs-remasters-whats-the-difference
  • Legends of Localization. (2017). Legends of Localization: How Ganon’s motivation changed in Breath of the Wild’s English translation. Retrieved June 6, 2024, from https://legendsoflocalization.com/breath-of-the-wilds-ganon-in-english-japanese/
  • Shmuplations. (2022, June 29). Ocarina of Time – 1999 Developer interview- shmuplations.com. shmuplations.com- 80s/90s/00s japanese gamedev interviews. Retrieved August 9, 2024, from https://shmuplations.com/ocarinaoftime/
  • The Critical Drinker. (2021, April 15). Why Canon Matters [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmJ52dtQl0
  • Willits, T. R. (2009). To reboot or not to reboot: What is the solution? Bewildering Stories. Retrieved May 19, 2024, from http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html
  • Zeltik. (2020, July 16). Zelda: Twilight Princess’ strangest mystery. . . solved? [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKm43kUWYM

Triforce Kanonu

Year 2025, Issue: 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı), 413 - 431, 22.05.2025

Ertuğrul Süngü , Nur Aleyna Sakoğlu

https://doi.org/10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287

Abstract

Bu makalenin konusu video oyunlarındaki kanonun incelenmesidir. Bu çalışma video oyunlarında kanonun nasıl oluştuğunu araştırmaktadır. Yapılan literatür taramasıyla film, edebiyat gibi çeşitli mecralardaki kanon üzerine mevcut çalışmaların sentezlenmesi ve video oyunları alanında kanon üzerindeki analizlerin eksikliğinin vurgulanmasıyla araştırmanın temeli oluşturulmuştur. Yakın okuma tekniğinin kullanıldığı metodoloji, çeşitli video oyunlarından örneklerle kanonun belirlenmesinde kullanılacak ölçeklerin sistematik bir analizini içermektedir. Bu araştırmanın bulguları, video oyunlarında kanonun belirlenmesinin ortaya çıkardığı durumları ortaya koymaktadır. Tartışma, kanonun belirlenmesinin; oyun tasarımı, hikaye anlatımı ve oyuncuyu içine çekme gibi daha geniş alanlardaki etkilerini eleştirel bir şekilde incelemektedir. Bu araştırma, video oyunlarında kanonun anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunarak kanon hakkında akademik söylemi geliştirmektedir.

Keywords

Dijital Oyun Hayran Çalışmaları Kanon Oyun Çalışmaları Video Oyunları

References

  • Asimos, V. (2018). Playing the Myth: Video Games as Contemporary Mythology. Implicit Religion, 21(1).
  • Benford, S., & Giannachi, G. (2008). Temporal trajectories in shared interactive narratives. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
  • Bostan, B. (2022). Dijital Oyunlar ve İnteraktif Anlatı. İstanbul: The Kitap.
  • Brooker, W. (1999). Internet fandom and the continuing narratives of Star Wars, Blade.
  • Carpenter, S. G. (2011). Narratives of a Fall: Star Wars fan fiction writers interpret Anakin Skywalker’s story (Master’s Thesis). University of Oregon.
  • Carreker, D. (2012). The Game Developer’s Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Lexicon for Professionals and Students. Cengage Learning.
  • Coleridge, S. T. (1817). Biographia literaria, or biographical sketches of my literary life and opinions.
  • Cook, R. T. (2013). Canonicity and normativity in massive, serialized, collaborative fiction. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 71(3), 271-276.
  • Cupalová, L. (2011). Fan fiction and its sources of inspiration in the canon with reference to the Harry Potter series.
  • Friedenthal, A. J. (2017). Retcon Game: Retroactive Continuity and the Hyperlinking of America.
  • Guerrero-Pico, M., & Scolari, C. A. (2016). Transmedia Storytelling and User-generated Content: A case study on crossovers. Cuadernos. Info, 183–200.
  • Hedman, J. (2021). A New Theory of the Offering of Video Game Add-On Products (Master’s Thesis). Copenhagen Business School.
  • Heron, M. J. (2017). Pacman’s Canon in C#: A Quantum Interpretation of Video Game Canon. The Computer Games Journal, 6(3), 135-151.
  • Larsen, B. A., & Carstensdóttir, E. (2023). “Anything a Guardian does is canonical”: Player understanding of Canon in destiny. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-computer Interaction, 7(CHI PLAY), 237–263.
  • Lebowitz, J., & Klug, C. (2011). Interactive storytelling for video games: A Player-centered Approach to Creating Memorable Characters and Stories. Taylor & Francis.
  • Lee, J. H., Clarke, R. I., Sacchi, S., & Jett, J. (2014). Relationships among video games: Existing standards and new definitions. Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, 51(1), 1–11.
  • Liebler, R., & Chaney, K. (2007). Canon vs. Fanon: Folksonomies of Fan Culture. MIT Media in Transition. Locher, H. (2012). The idea of the canon and canon formation in art history. In Art history and visual studies in Europe (pp. 29–40).
  • MacKenzie, S. (2021). Film manifestos and global cinema cultures: A Critical Anthology. University of California Press.
  • Mago, Z. (2019). Easter eggs in Digital Games as a Form of Textual Transcendence (Case Study). Acta Ludologica, 2(2), 48–57.
  • McKnight, J. (2018). Headcanon & lore: owning the narrative. Avatar, Assembled: The Social and Technical Anatomy of Digital Bodies, 137-146.
  • Miller, C. H. (2004). Digital Storytelling 4E: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment.
  • Nihtilä, P. (2019). “The Zelda we have in our hearts”: virtual community on a video game fansite (Master’s Thesis). University of Jyväskylä.
  • Parker, F. (2013). Millions of voices: Star Wars, digital games, fictional worlds and franchise canon. Game On, Hollywood! Essays on the Intersection of Video Games and Cinema, 156-168.
  • Pearsall, J. (2008). The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. In Oxford University Press eBooks. Perron, B., Boudreau, K., Wolf, M. J., & Arsenault, D. (2022). Fifty Key Video games.
  • Ryan, N. M. (2015). Transmedia storytelling: industry buzzword or new narrative experience? StoryWorlds a Journal of Narrative Studies, 7(2), 1.
  • Scolari, C. A. (2013). Narrativas transmedia: cuando todos los medios cuentan. Deusto. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. (1996). In Oxford University Press eBooks.
  • Thomas, B. (2007). Canons and fanons: Literary fanfiction online. Dichtung Digital. Journal Für Kunst Und Kultur Digitaler Medien, 9(1), 1–11.
  • Wollen, P. (2003). The Auteur Theory. In Film Theory: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies (pp. 39–57). Routledge.
  • FIGURE REFERENCES
  • Figure 1. Taken from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game by writers.
  • Figure 2. https://fictionphile.com/legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-best-zelda-game/
  • Figure 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKm43kUWYM
  • Figure 4. https://aminoapps.com/c/zelda/page/blog/confusing-rito-mural-in-castle-town-tphd/BQot_wujeRVvwkQlBbkQ2ojR6d350B
  • Figure 5. https://www.gamesradar.com/ghost-of-tsushima-ps4-exclusives-easter-egg-pays-tribute-to-god-of-war-horizon-and-more/
  • Figure 6. https://zeldauniverse.net/2020/09/19/zeldas-study-the-many-mario-enemies-in-links-awakening/
  • Figure 7. https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadredemption/comments/919zxg/thoughts_on_this_red_dead_ book_easter_egg_in_gta_v/
  • INTERNET REFERENCES
  • Bailey, K. (2023, December 8). Tears of the Kingdom Devs leave door open for playable Zelda in potential future release- IGN. IGN. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.ign.com/articles/tears-of-the-kingdom-devs-leave-door-open-for-playable-zelda-in-potential-future-release
  • Hayton, P. (2020, January 24). Game remakes vs remasters: what’s the difference? TechRadar. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.techradar.com/news/game-remakes-vs-remasters-whats-the-difference
  • Legends of Localization. (2017). Legends of Localization: How Ganon’s motivation changed in Breath of the Wild’s English translation. Retrieved June 6, 2024, from https://legendsoflocalization.com/breath-of-the-wilds-ganon-in-english-japanese/
  • Shmuplations. (2022, June 29). Ocarina of Time – 1999 Developer interview- shmuplations.com. shmuplations.com- 80s/90s/00s japanese gamedev interviews. Retrieved August 9, 2024, from https://shmuplations.com/ocarinaoftime/
  • The Critical Drinker. (2021, April 15). Why Canon Matters [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmJ52dtQl0
  • Willits, T. R. (2009). To reboot or not to reboot: What is the solution? Bewildering Stories. Retrieved May 19, 2024, from http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html
  • Zeltik. (2020, July 16). Zelda: Twilight Princess’ strangest mystery. . . solved? [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKm43kUWYM
There are 44 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Visual Arts (Other)
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Ertuğrul Süngü 0000-0001-7957-0281

Nur Aleyna Sakoğlu 0000-0002-2154-7254

Publication Date May 22, 2025
Submission Date August 20, 2024
Acceptance Date March 27, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Issue: 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı)

Cite

APA Süngü, E., & Sakoğlu, N. A. (2025). Triforce of Canon. Sanat Ve Tasarım Dergisi(35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı), 413-431. https://doi.org/10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287
AMA Süngü E, Sakoğlu NA. Triforce of Canon. Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi. May 2025;(35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı):413-431. doi:10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287
Chicago Süngü, Ertuğrul, and Nur Aleyna Sakoğlu. “Triforce of Canon”. Sanat Ve Tasarım Dergisi, no. 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı) (May 2025): 413-31. https://doi.org/10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287.
EndNote Süngü E, Sakoğlu NA (May 1, 2025) Triforce of Canon. Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı) 413–431.
IEEE E. Süngü and N. A. Sakoğlu, “Triforce of Canon”, Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, no. 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı), pp. 413–431, May 2025, doi: 10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287.
ISNAD Süngü, Ertuğrul - Sakoğlu, Nur Aleyna. “Triforce of Canon”. Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı) (May 2025), 413-431. https://doi.org/10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287.
JAMA Süngü E, Sakoğlu NA. Triforce of Canon. Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi. 2025;:413–431.
MLA Süngü, Ertuğrul and Nur Aleyna Sakoğlu. “Triforce of Canon”. Sanat Ve Tasarım Dergisi, no. 35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı), 2025, pp. 413-31, doi:10.18603/sanatvetasarim.1536287.
Vancouver Süngü E, Sakoğlu NA. Triforce of Canon. Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi. 2025(35 (20. Yıl Armağan Sayısı):413-31.
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