Study
Innovation & MarketsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Video Games as Military-Industry Propaganda: The Medal of Honor Case

Video games can serve as a powerful tool for the military-industrial complex to promote its interests and shape public perception through entertainment.

Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · 2014

01

Key Findings

  • 01Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda is a 'militainment' commodity created by the convergence of the Department of Defense and the digital games industry.
  • 02The game's development, ownership, and marketing demonstrate a symbiotic relationship between Electronic Arts and the DOD, serving cross-promotional objectives.
  • 03The game's narrative and interactive play immerse players in a simulated warfare experience that aligns with military and capitalist interests.
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Application

Design takeaway

Be mindful of the dual-use potential of design and consider how your creations might serve broader agendas beyond user engagement and commercial success.

How to apply

When designing products with themes that intersect with public institutions or sensitive societal issues, critically assess the potential for unintended consequences or co-option of the design for external agendas.

Project actions

  • 01When analyzing a product, consider who benefits from its creation and promotion beyond the end-user.
  • 02Investigate the partnerships and relationships between the companies developing the product and other organizations.
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Method & Evidence

AimTo analyze how video games, specifically Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda, function as a form of 'militainment' that supports both digital capitalism's profit motives and Department of Defense promotional goals.
MethodCritical analysis of industry structures, marketing, and interactive narrative elements.
ProcedureExamined the ownership, development, and advertising of Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda, alongside its single-player mode's simulation of warfare and interactive storytelling, within the context of the military-industrial-communications-entertainment complex.
ContextVideo game industry, military-entertainment complex, digital capitalism.

Variables

IVNature of the video game (militainment vs. pure entertainment).
DVPublic perception of military operations, commercial success of the game.
CVGenre of the game (first-person shooter), target audience (young males).
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Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Provides a critical lens on the military-entertainment complex.
  • +Connects industry practices with narrative and play experience.

Limitations

It's hard to definitively prove intent; the analysis relies on interpreting the product and its context.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be improved by analyzing a larger sample of games. Validity is strong in its critical interpretation of the chosen case study.

Think critically

To what extent should designers be responsible for the broader societal impacts and potential misuses of their creations?

05

Design Principles

"Design for transparency and ethical consideration, acknowledging the potential for products to influence societal perceptions and interests."

Understanding how entertainment products like video games are intertwined with military objectives and corporate interests is crucial for designers and researchers. This insight highlights the potential for products to carry hidden agendas beyond their primary function, influencing consumer attitudes and market dynamics.

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What This Means for Your Design

This research shows how video games can be used by the military and companies to make war seem exciting and to promote military interests, while also making money.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to support arguments about the influence of media on public perception or the intersection of commercial interests with political agendas in your design project.
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Add to My Project

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Quick Cite

(2014). Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda: Playing the War in Afghanistan. Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst). https://doi.org/10.7275/democratic-communique.236 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/d7bd9f63-16c6-4f41-88e4-0920e920cb3a/video-games-as-military-industry-propaganda-the-medal-of-honor-case

Paragraph starter

The convergence of the military and entertainment industries, as exemplified by games like Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda, demonstrates how design can be leveraged to serve dual purposes: commercial profit and the promotion of institutional agendas, influencing user perception and market dynamics.

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Source

Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda: Playing the War in Afghanistan

journal · 2014

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about video games as military-industry propaganda: the medal of honor case?
Be mindful of the dual-use potential of design and consider how your creations might serve broader agendas beyond user engagement and commercial success. Evidence: Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (2014).
Why does "Video Games as Military-Industry Propaganda: The Medal of Honor Case" matter for design?
Understanding how entertainment products like video games are intertwined with military objectives and corporate interests is crucial for designers and researchers. This insight highlights the potential for products to carry hidden agendas beyond their primary function, influencing consumer attitudes and market dynamics.
How can designers apply this research?
Be mindful of the dual-use potential of design and consider how your creations might serve broader agendas beyond user engagement and commercial success.
What were the main findings?
Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda is a 'militainment' commodity created by the convergence of the Department of Defense and the digital games industry.. The game's development, ownership, and marketing demonstrate a symbiotic relationship between Electronic Arts and the DOD, serving cross-promotional objectives.. The game's narrative and interactive play immerse players in a simulated warfare experience that aligns with military and capitalist interests.
What research method was used?
Critical analysis of industry structures, marketing, and interactive narrative elements..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2014 journal from Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst).
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing products with themes that intersect with public institutions or sensitive societal issues, critically assess the potential for unintended consequences or co-option of the design for external agendas.
What are the limitations?
The analysis focuses on a single game and may not be generalizable to all military-themed video games or entertainment products.
Is there evidence that medal honor affects design outcomes?
The study found that the video game Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda acts as a product of both the military and the gaming industry, with its creation and promotion benefiting both entities by fostering positive perceptions of military operations and driving commercial sales. Understanding how entertainment products Source: Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (2014).
Where does this video games research apply?
Video game industry, military-entertainment complex, digital capitalism. It sits within innovation & markets research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

medal honor design research · evidence on medal honor · does medal honor improve design outcomes · video games studies for designers · medal honor and video games findings · innovation & markets research evidence