Video Games: The Global Battleground of Modern Politics

In this Conflicted Conversation, George Osborn draws on his excellent new book Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence (linktr.ee/Power_play_book) to reveal the hidden political power of video games.

Once dismissed as a niche hobby, gaming has become one of the largest social environments ever created: a vast digital third space where billions of people form identities, build communities, and increasingly encounter politics — often aligned with authoritarian agendas.

George explains:

• The history of video games: from arcades to global digital networks

• How gaming helped drive the modern technology revolution

• Why video games became the ‘third spaces’ of the internet age

• Steam, online gaming, and the rise of digital communities

• How China controls and regulates gaming culture

• Saudi Arabia's investment strategy in gaming and esports

• Russia, information warfare, and influence operations in gaming

• Gamergate and the politicisation of gaming communities

• Steve Bannon, online culture, and the rise of populist politics

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