Piracy and Patriotism: The Forces of Resistance in Viet Nam’s Video Game Industry During the 2000s to the Early 2010s Through the Case of 7554

Authors

Dat Vo, Wayne State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This paper examines cultural resistance in Viet Nam’s video game industry through the case of 7554, the country’s first indie, first-person shooter. Piracy, normalized by economic hardship and distrust of capitalist systems, both enabled access and undermined domestic creativity. Viet Nam’s shifting intellectual property laws reflected broader balancing between socialist sovereignty and global economic integration. By situating 7554 within Viet Nam’s historical context from colonial resistance to socio-economic reforms, this study argues that piracy functioned not only as economic necessity but also as a decolonial practice shaping cultural sovereignty.

Recommended Citation

Vo, Dat (2025) "Piracy and Patriotism: The Forces of Resistance in Viet Nam’s Video Game Industry During the 2000s to the Early 2010s Through the Case of 7554," Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research: Vol. 3, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/rushton/vol3/iss1/9