Description: [The Post-9/11 Video Game: A Critical Examination demonstrates that a new genre of video games arises from the American experience of 9/11. The representations reflect reshaped notions of the (sub)urban spaces, identity and the role of the citizen as a consumer and as a producer of culture. Ouellette and Thompson combine semiotic and rhetorical analysis to bridge the gap between the narratology and ludology strands of game studies in an original interpretation of dominant game franchises Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Grand Theft Auto and Syphon Filter in both pre- and post- 9/11 game titles. The comparisons reveal striking changes in the iconography of cultural narratives that mainstream audiences were interested in seeing and playing in this period. New York transforms into a symbol of America itself, the mall becomes a symbol of American values, and zombies offer a symbol of foreign invasion.
Brief description: Marc A. Ouellette is an award-winning educator who teaches cultural and gender studies at Old Dominion University, where he is the Learning Games Initiative Research Fellow.
Review Quotes: "useful and intriguing"-Press Start.