Strover, Sharon2016-01-262018-01-222016-01-262018-01-222006-05http://hdl.handle.net/2152/32844This thesis argues that a select group of commercially available, military-themed video games developed, in part, by the US Department of Defense (DOD) engenders militarized play opportunities for gamers. The DOD's emerging game genre is analyzed holistically by first situating today's wargames in their historical, cultural, and industrial contexts. Next, the thesis develops an innovative interpretive strategy for understanding how these titles' formal gameplay conventions shape player experiences. Lastly, this work examines what the gamer is asked to do in two canonical military games, exploring what it means to play the Global War on Terror.electronicengCopyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.Video gamesGlobal War on TerrorMilitary gamesThesisRestricted