E-nchantment - Wiederverzauberung in Contemporary Computer Games

The use of technology has contributed to what Max Weber termed the “disenchantment of the world”. Curiously, however, we see that certain computer applications – primarily computer games – are now used to re-enchant the world by once again allowing magic, moral and narrative into what was constructed to be a rational reality. This project – the re-construction of the enchanted world – is an interesting social phenomenon and likewise an important social trend. We describe some of the elements in both disand re-enchantment, and provide a small case study of the game Asheron’s Call to support the hypothesis that we are in today’s computer games indeed witnessing a counter-reaction against the rational worldview.