ABSTRACT
So far we have touched on a range of counterplay activities, defined by their violation of rule or edict, but as appears to be becoming apparent, not necessarily an expressly antagonistic approach to rules or the systems of production and consumption. What’s more, we have explored situations, notably Ocelot’s discussion of lag-switch usage, Zakhaev’s deployment of derank lobbies, and the implied glitcher utilization of game ISOs, which allude to the fact that sometimes players alter the hardware on which they play in order to engage in counterplay. However, when certain changes are made to video-game-related hardware, such as game consoles, these acts constitute violation of law. Counterplay in these circumstances goes beyond the offensive, the unfair, and transgressive into the territory of criminal acts.
