TY - CHAP

T1 - Football videogames

T2 - re-shaping football and re-defining fandom in a postmodern era?

AU - Ervine, Jonathan

N1 - 18 month embargo after publication for PP

PY - 2018/8/20

Y1 - 2018/8/20

N2 - This chapter analyses both the way in which football is presented in videogames and the ever more important influence that football videogames have on the sport. It focuses on football culture in the UK and France, and examines debates about the relationship between football and videogames that have taken place on both sides of the Channel. The UK is particularly worthy of study as it is widely seen as the birthplace of association football and is also home to the production companies that created games such as Football Manager. In, France is of great cultural significance due to the extent to which both its government and footballing authorities have embraced videogames culture.To begin with, it will be shown that there are ways in which football videogames can be seen as a logical next step in processes identified by social theorists who have discussed the commercialisation and commodification of football. However, this chapter will argue that videogames such as Football Manager are also paradoxically playing a role in re-defining football culture by providing an outlet for fans who may feel disillusioned by top-level football. Ultimately, this chapter shows that it is growing ever more appropriate to categorize football videogames as occupying an important place within football culture rather than seeing them as a niche pursuit.

AB - This chapter analyses both the way in which football is presented in videogames and the ever more important influence that football videogames have on the sport. It focuses on football culture in the UK and France, and examines debates about the relationship between football and videogames that have taken place on both sides of the Channel. The UK is particularly worthy of study as it is widely seen as the birthplace of association football and is also home to the production companies that created games such as Football Manager. In, France is of great cultural significance due to the extent to which both its government and footballing authorities have embraced videogames culture.To begin with, it will be shown that there are ways in which football videogames can be seen as a logical next step in processes identified by social theorists who have discussed the commercialisation and commodification of football. However, this chapter will argue that videogames such as Football Manager are also paradoxically playing a role in re-defining football culture by providing an outlet for fans who may feel disillusioned by top-level football. Ultimately, this chapter shows that it is growing ever more appropriate to categorize football videogames as occupying an important place within football culture rather than seeing them as a niche pursuit.

KW - videogames

KW - football

KW - football videogames

KW - football fans

KW - fandom

KW - Soccer

KW - Sport

KW - Football Manager

KW - French football

KW - British football

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9780815360209

SP - 139

EP - 153

BT - Digital Football Cultures

A2 - Lawrence, Stefan

A2 - Crawford, Garry

PB - Routledge

ER -