Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Video games and social engineering

Hey,

This spring, I'm starting a new video series on my new-found youtube channel about social engineering in video games. This series will have a look on recurring themes in gaming that are used to introduce and reinforce social policies and attitudes in modern western societies. For the last ten years, video games have been used excessively to promote certain views of the world; of course not every game promotes the same policies, but there's a continuity that derives from movie and comic book industry which has now taken over the central role of symbolism and themes in gaming. The themes and symbolism are partly the same as in movies for more and more movie writers shift to the growing industry of video games.

There are lots of different themes, still many of them have been around for ages. Video games serve only as a new medium of dissemination of information, in this case values, belief, symbols both covertly and overtly - in a similar manner the television has done over many years. There is a shift going on from TV to internet and computers, from TV series and movies to video games. As even fewer express interest in reading and computer use gains popularity with the future generations, we can be sure that this media will have a tremendous monopoly like status over the information and the creation of social virtues and vices, more so than in our youth back in the day.

Here comes my part in the equation, I possess a criticising disposition to expose the powers and values behind the iron curtain. In my future posts, I will show you some games which clearly promote social engineering. When it comes to social engineering, it can be used both good and bad, always for some predetermined purpose from the high ranks downwards to blind masses.


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