Propaganda at the turn of the centrury: the image of Arabs and Russians in american video games Cover Image

Пропаганда на прелазу векова: слика Арапа и Руса у америчким видео-играма
Propaganda at the turn of the centrury: the image of Arabs and Russians in american video games

Author(s): Darko Radivojević
Subject(s): Sociology of Culture, Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: Udruženje za društvenu istoriju

Summary/Abstract: During the last decades of the 20th century the United States started using video games as propaganda tools. They became a useful tool in creating the image of “the other”. In this article the author analyzes video games which depict war. Three dimensions of video games which the propagandists use are space, characters and the fear-concept. Two most depicted groops in these games are Arabs and Russians. Image of Arabs is consistent from the 18th to the 21st century. Stereotypes of Arabs were created during the 18th and the 19th century when the term Orient was coined to designate the Eastern world. Creators of video games started making image of Arabs in early 80’s, but the real expansion of video games depicting Arabs started after the 2001 terorrist attacks in New York. There was a need to create very negative image of Arabs using every tool of propaganda, including video games. Video games started depicting Soviets (Russians) during the 80’s and the 90’s creating negative image. During the first five years of the 21st century, there was an improvement in Russia-United States relations. During those five years the image was far better, video games depicted “brave” Soviets during World War II. But the relations beetween two countries started worsening in 2004 and 2005. During the second half of the decade and the first half of the next one the main goal of american video game creators was to create negative image of Russians as a threat to the world.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 83-105
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Serbian