Book Review: From Sun Tzu to XBox

Ed Halter, From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006.  ISBN: 9781560256816.

 

Genre: nonfiction, history

Subgenre: U.S. history, video games, technology, military history

Format: trade paperback

Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College  

 

This book looks at the history of video games and their connection to military culture. Criticism of ultra realistic warfare video games may seem a recent phenomenon. However, the relationship between the military, warfare, and games in general goes back to antiquity. The author explores that early history and then brings us up to the early 21st century. Along the way we meet a cast of creators, inventors, hackers (before the word "hacker" came to mean a cyber criminal), military officers, game developers, and player. 

 

The book sets up the scene in 2003 with the U.S. Army's game "America's Army," which was both a game as well as an army recruiting tool. I remember when that game came out, and how it was a big deal to some folks. In addition, that game is very much the precursor of many warfare and military themed games we have today ranging from corporate made games to homemade games created by amateurs. 

 

After the introduction, the author goes into the history. To be honest, Part One: "War and Games Before Computers" is the most interesting part of the book. You learn a bit how games like chess emerged and soon became tools to teach warfare and tactics. 

 

The rest of the book brings the story into modern times. Note that after the introduction, this is a story focused and centered mainly in the United States. Game developers and computer scientists had a serious love-hate relationship with the U.S. military, who during the Cold War funded their research and games development. Eventually some entrepreneurs broke out to create their commercial games without military subsidies. The author does make sure to note that the creation of digital computers and games, contrary to the common popular belief, was a heavily subsidized by the military affair. This is a detail that many conservatives, right wingers, and libertarian types tend to conveniently forget in their narratives: 

 

"That computers as we know them would not have been possible without massive government funding, largely through military channels, is a concept many today would find surprising. Latter-day corporate hype has colored our conventional understanding of the history of digital technology with a decidedly libertarian streak. Innovation is portrayed as a the product of single inspired individual: independently minded, even rebellious entrepreneurs, exemplified by alpha-geeks like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Those who think differently. But a closer look into how digital technologies actually came into being shows that their ultimate origins were anything but free-market. The directions these technologies took--indeed the very creation of the digital computer itself-- was an enormously subsidized affair, pursued in the interests of maintaining and strengthening American military dominance, at a time when the very future of humanity seemed to rest on the outcome of this contest" (79).

 

The book overall is a bit of dry reading. The topic sounds interesting, but aside from the early history, it's another story of military interests funding something they want, and by some good chance we get civilian applications, games in this case. In addition, a significant part of the book is getting seriously dated. Gaming technology has leaped forward significantly since 2006 when this book was published. 

Overall, the book is OK. It looks at an interesting topic, but it just is not that interesting in terms of the writing and presentation. 

2 out of 5 stars.