PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

This study examines the role of the US government in reviving the spirit of patriotism and jingoism through militaristic video games after the September 11 attacks that killed around 3,000 people. This study, in particular, investigates the collaboration between the US government and an American video game developer to create a militaristic video game following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Militaristic video games, on the other hand, can trigger extreme levels of patriotism and nationalism, leading to a sense of patriotic frenzy that can aid in treating traumatised Americans while at the same time shaping their perceptions of America's invasion of the Middle East. However, militaristic video games, which contain political and ideological messages, have transformed into new forms of propaganda, also known as interactive propaganda. Therefore, this study revealed that video games are becoming a new medium, aside from movies or news reports, that can be a second medium for the US government to propagate its political messages. In addition, the narrative and visuals of video games that contain propaganda can shape new perspectives for their players to interpret the connection between the September 11 attacks and terrorism.