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Abstract:

This paper will examine the role of videogames in global participatory culture. In particular it will explore the role of
software piracy in enabling participation from groups that would otherwise be excluded from accessing videogames due to economic factors. This suggests that piracy in the context of videogames – especially vis-à-vis their role as proselytizers of participatory culture – can be shifted outside of a criminal regime and into one which is concerned with the ability to participate in a global economy as both a consumer and citizen. This issue will be explored through a case study of the gaming situation in Caracas, Venezuela.