Behavioral Escalation: Video Games as a Tool of Hybrid War

Fazal Rahim Khan; Haseeb ur Rehman; Sehrish jamil

Abstract:

Gaming industry in its short span of around forty years has evolved from a hobby to a huge economic industry. However, undeniably, incredible advancement in video game graphics has allowed this virtual world to manipulate and escalate its consumer’s behavior. Violent video games, according to Professor Robert Sparrow, have long been used for political contestation and social unrest. The study serves to analyze behavioral escalation through video games. This study has used Ian Bogust’s Procedural Rhetoric asa methodology to analyze video games. The results showed that video games are persuasive interactive medium that escalate behavior and have great potential to be used as a tool of Hybrid war. Louis Jones stated that propaganda and unconventional warfare is not a new thing, it dates back to Greeks. Colin Gray, military strategist, described the future warfare as similar to the historical one but with modern means of technology.

research from:

• Foundation University - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Year:

2020

Type of Publication:

Article

Journal:

Journal of Peace, Development and Communication

Volume:

5

Number:

1

Pages:

68–82

Month:

9

ISSN:

2708-2105

DOI:

10.31703/gmcr.2020(V-I).06