With the rise of drones and computer-controlled weapons, the line between war and video games continues to blur. In this
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English Pages [270] Year 2018
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controlled \{eapons, the line between war and video games continues to blur. In this booh the authors trace how the realities of war are deeply inflected by their representation in popular entertainment. War games and other media, in turn, feature an increasing number of
from the War on Terror. While past analyses have emphasized top-down circulation of pro-military ideologies through government public relations efforts and a cooperative media
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industry, The Military-Entertainment Complex argues for a nonlinear relation-
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ship, defined largely by market and
institutional pressures. Tim Lenoir and Luke Caldwell explore the history of the
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when personnel and expertise flowed
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companies; to a middle period when the
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military drew on the booming game industry to train troops; to a present in which media corporations and the
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military influence one another cyclically
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early days of the video game industry,
from military contractors to game
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to predict the future of warfare.
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weapons, tactics, and threat scenarios
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metaLABprojects the menlABprojacfs series provides a platform for emerging currents of experimental scholarship, documenting key moments in the history of networked culture, and promoting critical thinking about the future of institutions of learning. The volumes'eclectic, improvisatory idea-driven style advances the proposition that design is not merely ornamental, but a means ofinquiry in its own right. Accessibly priced and provocatively designed, the series invites readers to take part in reimagining print-based scholarship
the digital age. www.metalab.harvard.edu
Series Editor
]effrey T. Schnapp Advisory Board Giuliana Bruno (Harvard VES) fo Guldi (Brown) Ian Bogost (Georgia Tech) Michael Hays (Harvard GSD) Bruno Latour (Sciences Po, Paris) Bethany Nowviskie (U of Virginia)
An&ew Piper (McGill) Mark C. Taylor (Columbia)
Art Direction Daniele Ledda metaLAB and rycomm
(Mitan)
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Cold War
Desert Storm
Large-scale land maneuvers with
Ballistic Missiles, Deterrence, Total War in Air/ Land, and Sea
The War on Terror has shown us that future wars will be unlike those
of history.
coordinated air support, Precision
Expensive Land wars.
Weapons.
Enemies, tactics,
INSURGENT
and war technologies are becoming more
networked than .a- '
ever
The battlefietd is becoming
virtua[, distributed, unbound.
The Revolution in
Military Affairs is already underway.
MQx9
STRYKER
Target in sight. Firing...
Attacking
their networks.
Sim-Net is cool...
Samulation 16 key to strategac
dominance!
We can now coordinate in real-time and virtually train for any future conflict!
Then
NO RUNNIilG AND GUNNING! THIS ISN'T A GAME!
But my guy won't get back up!?!
But we could make this fun..
And
lucrative!
He has
the bomb! Shoot him!
Now
I
UTTI YllU
IO lTY
P
I Ahaha, The most realistic shooter ever made! Join up now!
I
twitch and you die!
oh nran, hurry uP
and respa'9n me, have
scrubs
Aiil!
Level ing
up! Got ny
nev scope!
2000
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...there is a
growing market for
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these shooting games. People love
history like Saving Private Ryan.
Yeah,
World War
II!
i No one would
feel bad shooting at Nazis! dE;= World War fI gives us a lot to work with, Variety
keeps players
interested,
We are on to
something here,
!
2006
World War II has served us well, but we are not growing
fast enough.
Lui1!
New locatio trS, bad guys, plots, and tools for
We need a new context
that revolutionizes our franchise growth formula
our players
to use.
Terrorism is so hot right now.
The future
of warfare is here!
We can draw Yes!
from current events and have people play what
they see in
Evil terrorists will take over if you don't stop
the news!
them!
More explosions than ever! Elite commandoes! Futuristic guns and gadgets! So advanced and realistic that the
military hasn't caught up yet!
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