“Destruction Operation”: Iranian-Made Digital Games of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88)

Abstract

Abstract The Iranian digital game industry flourished in 2002 as a result of a cultural war with Western game productions. Since then, the Iran–Iraq war (1980–88) has been one of the most significant themes of gaming and game design. These games are used as a visual medium to entertain, educate, and communicate the cultural and ideological values of the war to Iranian youth, who constitute the majority of these games’ enthusiasts. Most war games in Iran were modeled after successful Iranian military operations. They were primarily intended to replace Western war games (e.g., Call of Duty and Battlefield) and to impart a distinct Iranian-Islamic wartime culture. The following discussion revolves around a narratological analysis of four Iranian-made digital games on the Iran–Iraq war. This examines the way in which the design of the various elements—such as event, character, and setting—corresponds to the official discourse on the war.1 The games were selected based mainly on their popularity in society as claimed by the game’s official Web site. These elements play a crucial role in articulating the Iranian-Islamic national identity, which is inextricably bound to Islamic, and particularly Shi‘i, teachings.