A diplomacia cultural no comando

: o estudo de caso do videojogo Genshin Impact (2020)

Abstract

Video games are a cultural product within the sphere of new media and digital art, with aspects like interactivity, immersion, creativity or the exploration of new relationships between human beings and the world. As an emerging sector, not only is it one of the most popular means of entertainment nowadays, but it has also been gaining other roles. This research aims to investigate video games as a new way to practice Chinese cultural diplomacy by non-state actors, as they show the artistic and narrative qualities that allow the representation of various cultures. One Chinese video game that stood out and achieved rapid international success since its launch, in 2020, was Genshin Impact. It is a video game where the player explores different geographies constructed based on various cultural influences. The visual analysis carried out in this case study allows us to identify and analyze some of the cultural elements represented in Genshin Impact, reflecting the vision of Chinese creators in reimagining their culture and others to construct a fantasy world. Other factors identified as cultural diplomacy practices consist of the publishing of audiovisual content about traditional Chinese arts and cuisine, the production of online and in-person concerts, the participation in ACG (Animation, Comics and Games) events and the encouragement of the fan community to create artistic content. My research seems to indicate that video games can be a current and efficient way for non-state actors to practice cultural diplomacy, contributing to a more positive image of China and promoting mutual understanding between different nations through the representation of different cultures in video games. At the same time, video games can also represent a new way of exporting Chinese soft power, as seen in the increase in Chinese video game releases on the international market.

Date of Award	26 Jun 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Jorge Santos Alves (Supervisor) & Henrique Antunes Prata Dias da Costa (Co-Supervisor)