The book that got me thinking about the treatment of animals was Michel Faber’s Under the Skin. It covers many topics – what it means to be human, the role of women in society and so forth. But one of the strongest arguments in the book is that of vegetarianism. In it we see humans captured, castrated and gorged in order to feed an insatiable alien diet. It isn’t so much the ‘vegetarian’ alien character that convinces with his contrived speeches, but more the imagery of humans as cattle.

The Battlefield and Call of Duty series are fantasies of empire. America’s Army is literally a recruitment tool. And don't forget that the storyline in games is all about you the individual: you are there to save the world, get the girl or become the king. But modern players moan about the repetitive nature of these games.