Publications [#373583] of Leo Ching

Papers Published

1. Ching, LTS, The new “Great Game”? Decolonizing wargames in the era of China’s rise, Inter Asia Cultural Studies, vol. 24 no. 5 (January, 2023), pp. 824-835 [doi] .
   (last updated on 2025/07/02)

   Abstract:
   The “new” Great Game suggests that, like the imperial competition of the past, we are witnessing a trans-imperial moment whereby Japan and China are vying for hegemony in East Asia. This is a new moment because East Asia, unlike Europe, has never had two co-existing superpowers. The prospect of a new imperial competition is complicated by the still-present American military power and the non-statist arena, especially in popular culture, where the imperial games are played out. Using two popular anti-Japan videogames, Glorious Mission Online (2013) and The Invisible Guardian (2019) as case studies, I argue these games are symptomatic of the relations between warfare and game in general. I then outline the trend in game development that subverts conventional wargames. Finally, I speculate on alternative game design over the disputed territories in the Southern China Sea that prioritizes ecology over human conflict and development.