Representation of Afghanistan in Western Digital Games Industry: A Case Study of Action Games After September 11, 2001

Video games, as a form of new media with mass and global audiences, have provided a suitable opportunity for Western governments to reinforce their military, political, and ideological objectives. The collaboration between Video game producers and the military has introduced the idea of real wars to game developers, who utilize it in the entertainment industry. Today, we can observe a general depiction of the wars in Afghanistan within these games. This research employs qualitative content analysis to examine how Afghanistan is represented in the Western Video games industry. For this purpose, 13 Western Video games centered on Afghanistan were purposefully selected using a non-probability sampling method and were coded and categorized using MaxQDA. The codes obtained from the comparative analysis were divided into two main categories and eight subcategories. The most significant identified categories include misrepresentation and hegemony. The findings indicate that the unrealistic and meaningful representations of the real wars in Afghanistan by Western game developers after September 11 have been unfair and lacking in integrity.
Introduction and Problem Statement
The media representation of video games has evolved since the Cold War to create a barrier against communism, with the portrayal of U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan after September 11 being framed within the context of the global war against terrorism. The objective of representing Afghanistan in video games is to establish mental stereotypes and normalize a negative perception of the country, thereby facilitating the acceptance of U.S. military and political interventions in global public opinion.
Games depicting Afghanistan often illustrate themes of disorder, violence, irrationality, and human rights violations. Companies such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Bohemia Interactive have acted as media extensions of imperialist governments, often funded by entities like the U.S. Department of Defense (Hammar & Woodcock, 2019).
The impact of media messages, particularly video games, on Afghanistan has not been adequately addressed. The central question of this research is how Afghanistan is represented in Western digital games after the September 11, 2001 incident. Understanding this representation will help illuminate how people around the world perceive Afghanistan and how the West views the country in the context of video games production.
Methodology
We employed qualitative research methods, utilizing qualitative content analysis based on the researcher’s perspective and analysis of phenomena. To gain a deep understanding of the subject, we used a case study approach, which is media-oriented, to explore and describe the data. The rationale for using qualitative content analysis in a context like the study of Video games, where quantitative analysis encounters limitations, is evident. Therefore, qualitative content analysis can be considered a research method for the subjective interpretation of textual data through systematic classification and coding or the design of known patterns (Babi, 2011).
Findings
In the qualitative content analysis of these games, two main categories and eight subcategories were identified. The main categories are as follows:
1- Misrepresentation 2- Hegemony
Data Analysis
The analysis of 13 Western Video games depicting Afghanistan shows a significant distortion of reality, influenced by the designers' preconceived notions. These games misrepresent Afghanistan and fail to accurately reflect its historical context, particularly regarding the Soviet-Afghan war and subsequent Western-led conflicts against terrorism.
The creators do not depict the true nature of war or the factors contributing to Afghanistan's underdevelopment. Afghanistan is portrayed as a backward and uncivilized nation needing liberation from communism and terrorism by the West, particularly the U.S., which acts as a global police force imposing Western values.
Conclusion
According to Edward Said's theory of Orientalism, Afghanistan is represented by the West as part of the East. In these representations, Afghanistan is depicted as an Eastern, backward, and uncivilized country that the West, led by America in its role as global police, must liberate from communism and international terrorism while imposing Western values such as human rights, liberal democracy, and freedom.
Upon reflection, it becomes clear that these slogans are lies and deceptions directed at the people of Afghanistan and the world. In these games, Afghanistan is depicted as a part of the Middle East or Central Asia, portrayed as a permanent war zone where the interests of America and the West are in constant conflict with various forms of Islamic radicalism and terrorism.
Keywords: Representation, Video games, Hegemony, war, Orientalism, cultural imperialism.