Envisioning a cosmopolitan age for gaming. A case study of a speculative future for the Israeli games industry

Abstract

This paper suggests a speculative scenario for the Israeli games industry. In this scenario we live in a cosmopolitan age whereby digital games produced in the peripheral countries will attain global acknowledgement by incorporating local attributes first. We propose cosmopolitanism as a strategy for imagining alternative futures for emergent game endeavors around the globe. Cosmopolitanism can be considered as a global identity that transcends cultures and countries and brings together cultural elements from different parts of the world. It is a perspective that emphasizes the search for more inclusive forms of social relations between “global citizens” and a global outlook and openness to difference. By way of example, we chose several nationally acclaimed Israeli games as a case study. This paper will explore an alternative future for these games. By doing so, we hope to open such dialogue and call developers around the globe to adopt a cosmopolitan way of making games.