The Post-9/11 Video Game: A Critical Examination

Description

This critical study of video games since 9/11 shows how a distinct genre emerged following the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Comparisons of pre and post-9/11 titles of popular game franchises--Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Grand Theft Auto and Syphon Filter--reveal reshaped notions of identity, urban and suburban spaces and the citizen's role as both a producer and consumer of culture: New York represents America; the mall embodies American values; zombies symbolize foreign invasion. By revisiting a national trauma, these games offer a therapeutic solution to the geopolitical upheaval of 9/11 and, along with film and television, help redefine American identity and masculinity in a time of conflict. Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 9 Preface......Page 10 Introduction: Pedagogy and Allegory in “Post–9/11” Video Games......Page 14 One. The City: Metonymies and Allegories of New York......Page 32 Two. Showrooming the “War on Terror”: Consumerism and the Marketplace as Battlefield......Page 69 Three. The War Game: Life and Death......Page 85 Four. War Brothers: Letters Home......Page 100 Five. Being with the Guys: Masculinity as Apprenticeship and the Homosocial......Page 130 Six. Ready for Deployment: Masculinity and Technology in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare......Page 157 Conclusion......Page 174 Chapter Notes......Page 180 Works Cited......Page 186 Games Cited......Page 194 Index......Page 198