The Video Game Debate 2: Revisiting the Physical, Social, and Psychological Effects of Video Games (Routledge Debates in Digital Media Studies)

This student-friendly book provides an accessible overview of the primary debates about the effects of video games. It expands on the original __The Video Game Debate__ to address the new technologies that have emerged within the field of game studies over the last few years. Debates about the negative effects of video game play have been evident since their introduction in the 1970s, but the advent of online and mobile gaming has revived these concerns, reinvigorating old debates and generating brand new ones. __The Video Game Debate 2__ draws from the latest research findings from the top scholars of digital games research to address these concerns. The book explores key developments such as virtual and augmented reality, the use of micro-transactions, the integration of loot boxes, and the growth of mobile gaming and games for change (serious games). Furthermore, several new chapters explore contemporary debates around e-sports, gamification, sex and gender discrimination in games, and the use of games in therapy. This book offers students and scholars of games studies and digital media, as well as policymakers, the essential information they need to participate in the debate. The Video Game Debate 2 Cover -1 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Contributors 11 1. Revisiting Old Debates 16 Introduction 16 Violent Video Games, Aggression, and Violent Crime 17 Video Game Addiction 18 Video Games and Well-Being 19 Moving Forward 19 References 20 2. A Brief Overview of Loot Boxes in Video Gaming 22 Introduction 22 What Are Loot Boxes? 23 Is Loot Box Buying a Form of Gambling? 24 Empirical Studies on Loot Box Buying 29 Conclusion 31 References 32 3. Serious Games: Play for Change 34 What's in a Name: Defining Serious Play 36 Types of Mechanisms and Effects 40 Educating and Teaching 40 Training and Skill Development 42 Persuasion and Behavior Change 44 In All Seriousness: Unanswered Questions in Serious Games 46 Note 49 References 49 4. Digital Divides and Structural Inequalities: Exploring the Technomasculine Culture of Gaming 56 Introduction 56 Inequitable Diffusion of Gaming Technologies 58 Masculinity, Technoculture, and Violence 60 Challenging Exclusion and Discrimination 63 Conclusion 64 Acknowledgments 65 References 65 5. Twitch and Participatory Cultures 68 Introduction 68 History of the Streamer 69 The Good Side of Twitch 72 The Bad Side of Twitch 73 Conclusion 78 References 78 6. Playing to Win: The Global Esports Industry and Key Issues 81 What Is Esports? 82 Sports Games and Esports 83 The Scope of Esports 83 Leagues of Their Own: How the Esports Industry Is Organized 84 Tournaments 84 Leagues and Esports Organizations 85 Teams and Players 85 Social Impacts of Esports 86 Reconstituting Play 87 Social Engagement Through Spectatorship 87 Cheating and Corruption 87 Effects of Esports on Health and Well-Being 89 Physical Benefits and Concerns of Esports 89 Esports Injuries 89 Mental Health 90 Conclusion 91 Note 91 References 91 7. Therapeutic Use of Video Games 96 Therapeutic Video Game Play 97 Fantasy and Make-Believe 98 Meaningful and Emotional Experiences 99 The Therapeutic Benefit of Psychological Projection 100 What Are Archetypes? 101 Video Games and Archetypes 102 Practical Applications: Video Games as Clinical Tools for Anxiety and Depression 105 Killing Our Own Monsters 107 References 107 8. Extended Reality Therapy: The Use of Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality in Mental Health Treatment 110 The Next Revolution Is Here 111 Extended Reality (XR) 111 Virtual Reality (VR) 112 Augmented Reality (AR) 112 Mixed Reality (MR) 112 XR in Therapeutic Treatment 114 Therapist Competence 114 Therapeutic Interaction 114 Case Illustrations 115 Case Study: Meditation Programs 115 Case Study: Commercially Available Game Program 117 Case Study: Virtual Sandtray® 118 Conclusion 120 References 120 9. Mobile Gaming 122 Introduction 122 From the Margins into the Mainstream: The Rise of Mobile Gaming 123 Early History and Development of Mobile Games 123 Smartphone Era: A Revolutionary Turn in Mobile Gaming 125 Mobile Gaming as Casual Gaming 126 Freemium Model and Mobile Games: The Changing Ecosystems 128 Location-Based and Mixed Reality as the Future of Mobile Gaming? 130 Discussion 131 References 133 10. The Video Game Debate: Where Do We Go from Here? 136 The Past: Negative Narratives and the Deer in Headlights 136 The Present: Emergence of a (Critical) Multi-Perspective 137 The Future: A Cloudy Crystal Ball 141 References 142 Index 144 "This student-friendly book provides an accessible overview of the primary debates about the effects of video games. It expands on the original The Video Game Debate to address the new technologies that have emerged within the field of game studies over the last few years. Debates about the negative effects of video game play have been evident since their introduction in the 1970s, but the advent of online and mobile gaming has revived these concerns, reinvigorating old debates and generating brand new ones. The Video Game Debate 2 draws from the latest research findings from the top scholars of digital games research to address these concerns. The book explores key developments such as virtual and augmented reality, the use of micro-transactions, the integration of loot boxes, and the growth of mobile gaming and games for change (serious games). Furthermore, several new chapters explore contemporary debates around e-sports, gamification, sex and gender discrimination in games, and the use of games in therapy. This book offers students and scholars of games studies and digital media, as well as policymakers, the essential information they need to participate in the debate"-- Provided by publisher