"Filled with high-tech weapons, gung-ho desert soldiers, and terrorist scenarios ripped from the headlines, today's ultra-realistic video games have moved to the forefront of the militarization of popular culture. How did this once innocent pastime - now rivaling Hollywood in popularity - become so deeply enmeshed in America's entry into global warfare?" "Here is a definitive history of the longstanding relationship between games and military culture, from wargaming's roots in ancient civilizations, to the Cold War development of computing for battle, to a recent crop of U.S. military-funded shoot-'em-ups, big-budget commercial titles and homemade hacks."--BOOK JACKET.