Video games: Industry and culture

Video games have become a major media industry, generating large revenues and exerting an ongoing impact on older media forms. From game consoles to social media platforms to mobile devices, they account for an increasing share of media experience and have taken a central place in a number of key debates about the role of media, from issues of gender and violence to addiction and the nature of art.

This unit will introduce the field of Games Studies by discussing a number of key debates, themes and theories concerning the operation of the games industry; the experience of gaming; the cultural impact of games; and games' relationship with other, older media forms.