Trends and Issues in Digital Gaming

The ever-growing relationship between video games and other media like books, movies, and television leaves no doubt that digital gaming has a permanent place in our culture. Like other media, games are also a venue for advertising. A virtual billboard in a video game is likely more than just a digital prop; as in television and the movies, it’s a paid placement. And like other media, games are a subject of social concern, too. Violent and misogynistic content has from time to time spurred calls for more regulation of electronic games. But, as games permeate more of culture and increasingly come in nonstandard formats and genres, they may also become harder to define, and therefore, regulate.