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On the Virtual Frontlines: Video Games and the War on Terror

This contribution explores the continuing “virtualization” of the War on Terror by concentrating on the political subtext and aesthetics of relevant games. The main thesis is that these cultural products teach a simple lesson: violence is the preferred, usually the only, answer to human conflict. Furthermore the games reinforce cultural stereotypes and “myths” about the ongoing conflict – mainly by depoliticising the War on Terror into a purely military confrontation that can be won by eliminating “targets” and by “blowing stuff up”. In doing so, these games exert profound influence on how today’s conflict is perceived by the public.