First Person Paradoxes: the Logic of War in Computer Games

The primary aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the different modalities of virtual battlegrounds, i.e. maps, in multiplayer First Person Shooter games. The frequent usage of such games has consequences for thinking about games and simulations and the use of these interactive texts for advertisement, education, analysis and propaganda. On the one hand the representation and simulation of the logic of war will be reflected upon from a theoretical perspective. On the other hand, the interaction of gamers with the game’s simulation model will be explored by examining the spatial design of America’s Army and Counter-Strike.