Description
Computer, video, and mobile games have become a dominant presence in popular culture. However, the nature and extent of the rhetorical work games perform is not fully understood. The content and form of games differs from older media in ways that make it difficult to understand how they contribute to public discourses and shape worldviews. The difference is that games derive their rhetorical force from their procedural, rather than their narrative, content. Games make their arguments through the rules and mechanics of the game. These procedures both encourage and require the player to engage with the game in ways that reinforce the arguments being made through the procedures. In this thesis, I contribute to two scholarly conversations through an examination of the computer game Civilization V. The first is a theorization of what features of a game’s procedures make them persuasive. The second is an exploration of the ways Civilization V informs and shapes the exigent discussions surrounding nuclear proliferation and climate change. I argue that the procedural rhetorics of Civilization V make persuasive arguments in favor of nationalistic nuclear and climate policies.
