Digital Games, Gaming Cultures and Radicalisation

GEMS Project Publication, 2024

This publication is a result of the Horizon Europe research project, GEMS - Gaming Ecosystem as a Multi-layered Security Threat, which is dedicated to addressing the acceleration of extremism within the gaming ecosystem. The document was produced by Trinity College Dublin (TCD) under Work Package 1 (WP1) of the GEMS project, which is coordinated by TCD. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not reflect the views of the European Commission. Furthermore, the European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

Extremism and Gaming Research Network, 2021

In 2020, gaming was king: amid global lockdowns, an astounding 2.7 billion people turned to video games for entertainment, community, and release (Wijmam, 2020). For those counting, that was nearly 200 million more than the 2.5 billion gamers in 2019 (Wijmam, 2019). Already immensely popular, video gaming has become a source of resilience for many, with 82% of consumers globally surveyed by the pollster Nielsen playing video games and watching gaming content during lockdowns (Nielsen, 2020). The increase in gaming and affinity spaces, including chat rooms and forums, has raised concerns amongst researchers and regulatory bodies (both state and non-state) that extremism and radicalization may be taking root across those platforms (Ebner, 2020). As prominent social media platforms have stepped up content mediation, extremist actors have shifted their focus to new fora, including games and gaming sites. This “balloon effect” pushes objectionable content to new locales and is, in part, the result of successful public and private efforts to contain hateful or radicalizing speech. This document is a comprehensive review of research and reporting on the subject and reveals a knowledge gap in the existing research, while illustrating several nexuses between gaming and extremism.

2020

While the last years have seen increased engagement with gaming in relation to extremist attacks, its potential role in facilitating radicalization has received less attention than other factors. This article makes an exploratory contribution to the theoretical foundations of the study of gaming in radicalization research. It is argued that both top-down and bottom up gamification have already impacted extremist discourse and potentially radicalization processes but that research on gamification in other contexts points to a much wider application of gamification to extremist propaganda distribution tools in the future. The potential influence of video games on radicalization processes exceeds the transfer of the popular argument that exposure to violent media leads to desensitization to the context of radicalization and includes the exploitation of pop culture references, increases in self-efficacy regarding violence, and the direct experience of retropian visions through the conte...

Gaming and Extremism: The Radicalization of Digital Playgrounds, 2024

Games and Culture, 2024

The development and consumption of video games have experienced a significant boom in recent decades. Recently, attention has been paid to the impact they can have on young people and how extremist and radical groups are using them to recruit and reinforce hateful ideas and behaviors. It would be innovative to use this powerful tool to prevent and educate on values and rights, thereby reducing prejudices toward the outgroup. Therefore, the present systematic review aims to gather and systematize existing knowledge on video game-based interventions to reduce and prevent extremism and violent radicalization in young people, following the PRISMA method, analyzing a total of six articles. The results indicate that such interventions can reduce prejudiced behaviors toward outgroup individuals and increase resilience, empathy, and prosocial interactions. However, further exploration in this field is necessary to better understand the mechanisms involved and improve video game designs for preventive purposes.

2021

The livestreaming of attacks, the use of Call of Duty footage in propaganda videos, the modification of popular video games to support extremist worldviews, and the development of games and playful apps by extremist organizations have all contributed to an increasing focus on the so-called ‘gamification of terror’. Since the livestreamed attack in Christchurch and the realization that subsequent perpetrators in Pittsburgh, El Paso and Halle not only copied the mode and style of attack but were embedded in and sought to appeal to similar online communities, in which gamified language and references to gaming were part of the subcultural practice, journalists, academics, and practitioners have begun to analyze the role games and gamified applications may play in radicalization processes.

Convegno internazionale online: “ICLA-CLAM Conference. Transcodifications: Literatures, Arts, Media”, Università degli studi dell’Aquila, 01-03 luglio 2021

Hadtudományi szemle, 2022

Games and Ethics, 2020

This study discusses different media strategies followed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In particular, the study attempts to understand the way ISIS's video game that is called " Salil al-Sawarem " (The Clanging of the Swords) has been received by the online Arab public. The article argues that the goal behind making and releasing the video game was to gain publicity and attract attention to the group, and the general target was young people. The main technique used by ISIS is what I call " troll, flame, and engage. " The results indicate that the majority of comments are against ISIS and its game, though most of the top ten videos are favorable towards the group. The sectarian dimension between Sunnis and Shiites is highly emphasized in the online exchanges, and YouTube remains an active social networking site that is used by ISIS followers and sympathizers to promote the group and recruit others.