1st Edition

Race, Culture and the Video Game Industry A Vicious Circuit

By Sam Srauy Copyright 2024
168 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

168 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

168 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

A detailed and much needed examination of how systemic racism in the US shaped the culture, market logic, and production practices of video game developers from the 1970s until the 2010s. Offering historical analysis of the video game industries (console, PC, and indie) from a critical, political economic lens, this book specifically examines the history of how such practices created, enabled,... Read more

1. Rescuing an industry by leaning into fun/quality (1970s through 1980s)  2. “Fun” created an identity, but money made the “community” (1990s through the end of the 20th Century)  3. The Vicious Circuit and its Constraint on fun (2000s-2020s)  4. Finding hope in a hopeless place

Biography

Sam Srauy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations at Oakland University, USA. Sam’s research interests include the intersection of racism and economics in the digital games industry.