Armageddon Army: Playing God, God Mode Mods, and the Rhetorical Task of Ludology

Publication Type  Journal Article
Year of Publication  2006
Authors  Haynes, Cynthia
Journal Title  Games and Culture
Journal Date  01/2006
Volume  1
Pagination  89-96
Key Words  mods; god mode; ludology; rhetoric
Abstract  

Scholars are witnessing a dramatic confluence of faith, politics, and gaming. On the stage of this war theater, the players are indistinguishable, the simulations just one mission removed from real war. One is immersed in war as game, the other in war as eternal battle. The military has invested millions in developing games as strategic communications tools, hiring real soldiers and officers as consultants to ensure optimal realism in game play. Nowthat the harmonic convergence of faith, politics, and computer games has been graphically (and brutally) realized, specifically, made real in the dueling holy wars-- ours and theirs (jihad)--what now? This article proposes a game modification of the god mode of the game, America's Army, as a critical response to the reality ofwar and the use of computer games as military recruitment tools.

URL  http://gac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/1/89
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