Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

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.

Keywords

mods god mode ludology rhetoric

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aarseth, E. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on ergodic literature. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

America’s Army . (2002). Retrieved May 23, 2005, from http://www.americasarmy.com/community/dev.php

Baumgärtel, T. (2005). Zu einigen Themen künstlerischer Computerspiele 2004[On a number of aspects of artistic computer games]. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/themen/generative_tools/game_art/

Christian Coders Network. (2005). Retrieved May 14, 2005, from http://www.christiancoders.com/cgi-bin/ubb-cgi/postdisplay.cgi?forum=Forum2&topic=000555

Engeli, M. (2005). Changing the game—A taxonomy of artistic alterations of first-person shooter games. Retrieved May 16, 2005, from http://maia.enge.li/gamezone/taxonomy.html

Eskelinen, M. (2001). The gaming situation. Game Studies, 1(1). Retrieved May 16, 2005, from http://www.gamestudies.org/0101/eskelinen/

Frasca, G. (1999). Ludology meets narratology: Similitudes and differences between (video) games and narrative. Retrieved May 16, 2005, from http://www.ludology.org/articles/ludology.htm

Huhtamo, E. (2004). Being in between: Design media arts faculty lecture. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from http://dma.ucla.edu/events/calendar.php?ID=341

Jahrmann, M. (2005). Ich Spiele Legen: The president@whitehouse.gov shooter and enlightenment as mass deception(Abstract). Retrieved May 16, 2005, from http://www.light-image.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Participants2005&file=index&tab=shorttext&pid=52

10.

Jahrmann, M. , & Moswitzer, M. (2003). Nybble-engine.Retrieved May 28, 2005, from http://www.climax.at/nybble-engine-toolz/shooter.html.

11.

Labash, M. (2001). Psyching out the Taliban—The Army plans mind games at Fort Bragg. Weekly Standard. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/000/691yjwkt.asp

12.

Ominous Horizons . (2000). N’Lightning [Computer software]. Retrieved May 14, 2005, from http://www.n-lightning.com/ominoushorizons.htm

13.

OnPoint: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. (2005). Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://onpoint.leavenworth.army.mil/ch-3.htm

14.

RainbowSix 3 forum. Ubisoft Games forums. (2004). Retrieved May 14, 2005, from http://forums.ubi.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/424105901/m/166100004/r/197003037%23197003037

15.

Schiesel, S. (2005, February 17). On maneuvers with the Army’s game squad. The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://tech2.nytimes.com/mem/technology/techreview.html?res= 9C02E2DB133AF934A25751C0A9639C8B63

16.

Schleiner, A.-M. (2004). OUT: Operation Urban Terrain: A live action wireless gaming urban intervention. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from http://www.opensorcery.net/OUT/

17.

TGS Gamers . (2005). Two Guys software. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://www.twoguyssoftware.ca/gamers/viewtopic.php?t=7

Armageddon Army

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References