Matthew Payne’s New Book on Military Video Games
- March 25th, 2016
- in Faculty News
TCF faculty member Matthew Payne is the author of Playing War: Military Video Games after 9/11, just published by NYU Press. From the publisher’s promotional material:
“Playing War provides a cultural framework for understanding the popularity of military-themed video games and their significance in the ongoing War on Terror. Matthew Payne examines post-9/11 shooter-style game design as well as gaming strategies to expose how these practices perpetuate and challenge reigning political beliefs about America’s military prowess and combat policies. Far from offering simplistic escapist pleasures, these post-9/11 shooters draw on a range of nationalist mythologies, positioning the player as the virtual hero at every level. Through close readings of key games, analyses of marketing materials, and participant observations of the war gaming community, Playing War examines an industry mobilizing anxieties about terrorism and invasion to craft immersive titles that transform international strife into interactive fun.”
Payne, Matthew Thomas. 2016. Playing War: Military Video Games after 9/11. New York: New York University Press.