ABSTRACT
Games allow players to experiment and play with subject positions, values and moral choice. In game worlds players can take on the role of antagonists; they allow us to play with behaviour that would be offensive, illegal or immoral if it happened outside of the game sphere. While contemporary games have always handled certain problematic topics, such as war, disasters, human decay, post-apocalyptic futures, cruelty and betrayal, lately even the most playful of genres are introducing situations in which players are presented with difficult ethical and moral dilemmas. This volume is an investigation of "dark play" in video games, or game play with controversial themes as well as controversial play behaviour. It covers such questions as: Why do some games stir up political controversies? How do games invite, or even push players towards dark play through their design? Where are the boundaries for what can be presented in a games? Are these boundaries different from other media such as film and books, and if so why? What is the allure of dark play and why do players engage in these practices?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|12 pages
Introduction
part II|51 pages
Discourses of Dark Play
chapter 2|18 pages
Analyzing Game Controversies
chapter 3|17 pages
Of Heroes and Henchmen
part III|52 pages
Dark Play or Darkly Played?
part IV|71 pages
Dark Play and Situated Meaning
chapter 8|18 pages
Three Defences for the Fourteen-Inch Barbed Penis
part V|72 pages
Designing for Dark Play