Video Games and the Humanities10- Rockstar Games and American History

Commercially successful, fan-beloved, and a frequent source of media attention, Rockstar Games have a reputation as a game-changing company. Their games are not only positioned as ground-breaking interventions in the games industry, but also as "authentic" histories of America and its excesses. By working at the intersection of historical game studies, U.S. history, and film and media studies, and combining analysis of Rockstar’s major historical franchises and their marketing strategies, this book offers critical discussion of the company's attempts to create new narratives about U.S. history and culture through them. Esther Wright is Lecturer in Digital History at Cardiff University, Wales, UK, where she teaches and researches historical video games and their promotion.