In 1990, the board game Space Crusade was published by MB in collaboration with Games Workshop. It is the science fiction spin-off of the much more popular game HeroQuest (1989). Although still significantly underdeveloped, the game’s narrative borrowings from Warhammer 40,000 are clearly recognizable. For example, there are already Marines, Chaos (Marines), Orks, and Genestealers. The general narrative, among other things conveyed in the rulebook through small comic panels, also takes on the dark, martial style that is characteristic of Warhammer 40,000. In Germany, the game was distributed under the name Star Quest. But the changes to the German version don’t just stop at the name. During the translation of the game, the narrative elements of the rulebook were massively altered. Explicit references to killings were removed or softened. This is not simply due to sloppy translation, but rather systematic. It was apparently decided that the narrative needed to be toned down for marketing to German children. The discourse surrounding the question of how and in what form children should consume depictions of military violence is relevant in every society. In Germany, this discourse occupies a special position, also due to German history. The goal is to show how the perception of war as an entertainment medium differs culturally. To do so, the rulebooks in German and English will be compared and examined for differences in content. In a next step, the changes will be examined with the help of close reading to determine the associated change in the narrative. What was important in these changes? Which warlike actions are considered justifiable and which are not? How has this perception changed since the 1990s, and how does this affect the reception of Warhammer 40,000?
Author bio
Karl Sommer has been studying German and history at the MLU Halle-Wittenberg since 2016. His research focuses on the theory of science and the representation of war in popular media.
