ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that good video games create a "projective identity". A projective identity is a melded identity, a melding of self and avatar in a way that gives rise to a new sort of being. They create a double-sided stance towards the world in terms of which we humans see the world simultaneously as a project imposed on us and as a site onto which we can actively project our desires, values, and goals. In a video game the real-world player gains a surrogate; that is, the virtual character the player is playing, his or her avatar. According to the first claim, in a game like Thief: Deadly Shadows, we, the player, see the world from Garrett's perspective and need to find ways to use the mesh in the world among Garrett's mind/body, his goals, and the design of the virtual world to carry out his goals effectively.
