As we go along and learn about MMOGs and other online gaming, I tried out a few games on the Persuasive Games site. I’ve got to admit, I did not know that a company exists to “design, build, and distribute electronic games for persuasion, instruction, and activism.” Most of the games had some kind of message that was introduced in a gaming platform. And most of them were pretty damn challenging! One game I played was called “Points of Entry–An Immigration Challenge”. The game is a fun way to learn about the Merit-Based Evaluation System for awarding Green Cards. Does the game get the message across? Yes. During play, you compete against the computer to grant or deduct points from prospective immigrants based on factors such as education, career, age, etc. I have to say, the game’s action was faster than my brain. I was constantly harrangued to speed up. So much for my chance at working immigrations.
I also played a game called “Airport Security“. The game description states “Airport Security offers a satirical critique of airport security practices circa early fall 2006, when security agencies in the US and abroad changed their policies to prohibit common items like toothpaste and hair gel.” The true challenge in playing the role of the airport screener is to keep up with the ever changing rules of what is allowed and what is prohibited. Hmmm, kind of like a traveler trying to negotiate the maze of TSA rules! The game itself was fun, and again, challenging. The message certainly comes across though.
I looked at some of the other games on the Website. I was very surprised at some of the big campaigns that were turned into games. “Activism the Game” was from the DCCC, the “Howard Dean for Iowa Game” came from Dean for America, “Fatworld“, a game about the politics of nutrition, surprised me because it was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I never would have thought that PBS and the cpb are involved in gaming. The point is that the options are really expanding for those who have a cause. It’s hard to believe that a game is an option to learn about something. I can definitely see how games can be a viable resource to get a message out or educate on a cause.
On the other hand, for the few activism-based games available, there are hundreds of the simple time wasters. I looked at some of those too (such as the offerings on Shockwave) and they are fun to waste some time at work or school. I have no experience with any of the true MMOGs, but I know that they have huge followings and many possibilities for use outside of entertainment. Personally, I have enough trouble keeping my first life in order to spend time on Second Life, but if that’s what people are into, so be it. In general, I view online games as an avenue for younger people, which is telling in one of the comments I saw for one of the games. The player had written, “The game is sick! Except the first place is kind of like depresing (sic). Like it is so dark.”
Indeed my friend. Some of these games are like so dark. And like our future is like so dark because people like you write “like” in your comments and sound like an ignoramous and will someday be deciding whether to cut my Social Security and Medicaid. There’s my curmudgeonly rant for the day.
