Behavioral Escalation: Video Games as a Tool of Hybrid War

Haseeb ur Rehman; Sahrish 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 as a 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 when they left wooden horse at Troy. Colin Gray, military strategist, described the future warfare as similar to the historical one but with modern means of technology. The new virtual means of warfare have not altered the nature of warfare but have developed its new ways. Combat games are more realistic in sense of its enhanced graphics and presentation. This study points towards the great potential in video games to work as a tool for Hybrid war.

research from:

• Foundation University - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Year:

2020

Type of Publication:

Article

Journal:

Global Mass Communication Review

Volume:

5

Number:

1

Pages:

63-76

Month:

6

DOI:

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