The missing media: The procedural rhetoric of computer games

•We show that PR-research has yet to seriously engage with computer games.•We argue that computer games can be and have been ‘persuasive devices’.•We suggest Ian Bogost's theory of procedural rhetoric to further our understanding.•We discuss examples of procedural rhetoric.•We discuss the democratic impacts of certain computer games.

The discussion about the implications of new or digital media focuses mainly on ‘social’ media. This reduction is a conceptual shortcoming. In order to fully understand how digital media impact on society and the communication landscape, our conceptualisation needs to include new entertainment media, especially computer games. Interactivity here might mean interaction with the AI (artificial intelligence) or human players or both, but the crucial difference lies in the fact that the interaction takes place in a ‘world’ created by the software. Despite the discussion about ‘gamification’ in marketing and a tradition of game studies in the humanities, there have been few attempts to treat computer games not only as trivial culture, but as a “persuasive device”, as a way to shape public opinion. This article explores how the theory of procedural rhetoric, as outlined by Ian Bogost, enhances our understanding of this growing area.