Sport and Video Games

This book explores the complex relationships between sport and video games, two of the largest entertainment sectors globally.

Focusing on those games that depict real-life sports and athletic competitions, from FIFA, Madden and NBA 2K to Football Manager and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, the book examines how sport has influenced gaming, and vice versa, and how this relationship is likely to develop in the future. Arguing that sports games are a unique interface between virtual worlds and our real-life social worlds, the book examines the concept of simulation; how the performance of athletes and teams in the real-world influence video games and whether those close links enhance or limit the player’s experience, and considers how video games are used by leagues and sports franchises, through sponsorship and in-game advertisements, to reinforce their brands. It presents a concise history of sports video games, and using narrative methods it takes a close look at the importance of storytelling in sports video games, in the sense of the stories built into the structure of a game but also in the way that fans and media organisations build their own stories in sport, in both real and virtual worlds. The book also asks how sports video games illuminate our understanding of key social issues, including race and gender.

This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology or culture of sport or video games, sport business, or the gaming industry.