2. Engagement in play, engagement in politics : Playing political video games

It is a widely shared value in Western democracies that citizens should engage with political and social issues. This engagement is not necessarily confined to party politics, but includes other aspects of citizenship as well, from commitment to a local cause to supporting the global campaign of an NGO. Video games are arguably an excellent platform for encouraging and developing such engagement. Playing may facilitate civic engagement by allowing players to practice and experience different civic competencies in the safe environment of the game. This chapter discusses the results of research in this up-and-coming field and critically assesses those results in light of the opportunities this form of play might offer citizens when negotiating contemporary forms of citizenship.