1. Social Realism & Allegories of Control
Justin Green, Nathan Budziszewski, Adam Kerr

2. Realisticness vs. Realism
Realisticness- the ability for a game to look like the real world
Social Realism- a depiction of the real world typically through the eyes of the disadvantaged and offering social critique

3. Realisticness

4. Social Realism

5. Columbine Theory
“action video games were training a new generation of cyber-warriors ready to fight real foes on the real battlefield (itself computer enhanced).”
Ex.) Flight Simulators, Doom, America’s Army
“The problem of the Columbine theory is, to put it bluntly, one of directionality. Realism in gaming is about the extension of one’s own social life. The Columbine theory claims the reverse, that games can somehow exert “realistic” effects back onto the gamer.”

6. Control
A society in which something, gives you an abundance of freedom, but that same source has more ways of restricting other freedoms
Society of Control

7. The Stanley Parable

8. Informatic Control
In order to succeed at a game, you must adhere to the rules by understanding and manipulating the underlying algorithms and mechanics of a game.