The Military-Entertainment Complex 9780674724983, 0674724984

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With the rise of drones and computer-

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Tim Lenoir Luke Caldwell oooooooooooo

The Military E,ntertainment Cclmplex

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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)

for

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World War

II

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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

0utu

*fsmlg- -

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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