Main texts

Looking at two computer games - GTA and Crackdown.

Exploring the ways that criminals and police are represented, and the pleasures these games offer their players. For example, what is the pleasure of playing a criminal in GTA? What is the pleasure of playing a cop in Crackdown? What sort of cops are they and what sort of representation of law and justice does this create?

#Reading academic texts on police narratives on TV and then relating the ideas to the newer filed of computer games, where little has yet been written.

Primary research will be to test out the ideas on a group of game players - why do they play? What are the pleasures they say they get from the games, and how does what they say confirm or problematise the theories about crime narratives? (For example, one theory is that so many crime narratives are available in our culture because we NEED to be REASSURED that society is basically good and functions well, and that criminals get caught. Another theory is that crime narratives allow us to experience transgression from our straight and narrow right side of the law lives...).