Not all the best video games are about exploding heads and killing hookers.
Luddites and other critics have long lamented the violent nature of this digital past time. But a growing subgenre of mature, socially conscious games is proving that these games can effectively present morally provocative messages.
The “games for change” movement encourages the creation of free games that are designed to challenge minds, not sell copies.
Darfur is Dying (www.darfurisdying.com), an interactive Web-based simulation of daily life in Darfur refugee camps, has been played more than 3 million times since its launch two years ago. The viral game proved so popular that three months ago it expanded into Chinese, Arabic and Spanish versions. “Even though it’s a virtual simulation, you suddenly realize while playing it that this is playing out everyday in camps in Chad and Darfur,” says general manager of MTVu Stephen Friedman. The game proved to be one of the most successful elements of MTVu’s Sudan awareness campaign. “We heard from universities that wanted to teach a class (on the Sudan crisis), from Darfuri refugees and Holocaust survivors,” Friedman says. Based on the success of Darfur is Dying, MTVu has challenged its audience to create another viral video game depicting the global HIV AIDS epidemic.
Kid-themed Fatworld (www.fatworld.com) is a free interactive that imitates a lifetime of poor health choices. Eating a hamburger in Fatworld, for instance, raises your character’s cholesterol and can contribute to fatal problems later in the game. It’s designed by Persuasive Games, one of the most prolific developers of games for change and newsgames that created CNN’s first newsgame, which features debates between the 2008 presidential hopefuls.
UNICEF’s Ayiti: The Cost of Life (ayiti.newzcrew.org/ayitiunicef/) lets players control the members of a impoverished Haitian family trying to find a better life. The player is forced to make heart-wrenching decisions: Do you send your little girl to a school you can barely afford, or put her to work in the family fields for a little extra cash? The game was developed by Gamelab in conjunction with a group of high-school students.
September 12th (newsgaming.com/games/index12.htm) frames America’s response to the Sep. 11 attacks within in a didactic and thought-provoking newsgame. Players can choose between firing a missile into a busy Middle Eastern marketplace, crowded with terrorists and civilians alike, or to observe peacefully. You can’t win or lose in this subversive litmus test on The War on Terror.
Congratulations. You now have a reason to get your ass off XBox Live and start expanding your mind.
