Spokes, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6456-3879 (2020) The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, procedural rhetoric and the military-entertainment complex: two case studies from the War on Terror. Media, War and Conflict, 13 (2). pp. 153-169.

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Abstract

This article explores how the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea is represented in video games developed and played during the height of the War on Terror. Drawing on Šisler (2008) and Robinson’s (2012; 2015) work on video game rhetoric, US exceptionalism and visual typifications of Middle Eastern countries, the paper will explore two case studies Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005) and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2 (2004) using Bogost’s concept of ‘procedural rhetoric’ (2008; 2010) to unpack and detail the visual signifiers and gameplay mechanics of these titles in comparison with other work on games set in ‘Axis of Evil’ countries. The paper will conclude by situating the games within the military-entertainment complex more broadly (here focusing on film), arguing that North Korea is ultimately framed paradoxically in video games, a country that is viewed on the one hand as a threat to world peace and on the other as an absurdist dictatorship.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.1177/1750635219828761
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology J Political Science > JZ International relations
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/3670

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