Video Games and Information Warfare

This book will explore how video games and adjacent tech have served the two main functions of information warfare: transmission of information and influence. The video games industry is highly profitable, but there’s a sober side to it, separate from entertainment. Titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield might offer escapist fun on the digital battleground, but video games – as a technology – have a legitimate place in real world modern warfare, particularly in information warfare. The work breaks down categories of usage side-by-side with well-documented efforts in disinformation, misinformation, malign narratives, and cognitive warfare that have paved the way for digital warriors to bend public perception against a country, conflict, legislation, or politician. By analyzing the functions of training, propaganda, communication, surveillance, and intelligence sharing, the book reveals the profound impact that video games have on today’s battlefield. This book will be of much interest to students of information warfare, disinformation, video games, and security studies, as well as professionals in related fields.