Colin Campbell, The Politicization of Video Games and the Games Media. Video games are now part of the culture wars. Their content is used by critics and consumers to stake claim to political positions, some of which are extreme. Designers use games to make powerful political arguments. This is a process that has accelerated in the last five years, even while gaming's most powerful publishers have sought to keep their heads down. Where is it likely to go in the next five years?

Colin Campbell is a senior reporter at Polygon. He's been reporting on the video game industry since the 1980s. He was the recipient of the 2011 Games Media Legend Award. He is also the author of Piranha Frenzy, a novel about corruption in game journalism. Colin lives in Santa Cruz, CA.