Power Play

Why is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, the chair of a video games business? How is Russia using video games to wage an information war against Ukraine? And how have online game communities helped Donald Trump to win the White House . . . twice? Power Play is the story of how the world's biggest entertainment medium transformed into a channel for influence that is changing the world around us. Written by games industry expert George E. Osborn, Power Play explores how video games transformed from an entertainment product into an ecosystem that connects billions of people across the globe, creating a space ripe for influence. And while democracies have underestimated the importance of games, authoritarians, extremists, and populists haven't. They are winning the battle for control over one of the world's most powerful spheres of influence. From exploring why China has censored online games to explaining how toxic video game communities have transformed terror, Power Play explains how video games and the communities around them are being weaponised for political purposes. Supported by the insight of dozens of world-leading academics, journalists, political officials, and industry experts, Power Play is the vital guide for understanding this new frontier for political influence, and what we need to do about it.