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Can a Game Change the World?
I'd like to take a complete 180-degree turn from yesterday's rant about Manhunt 2 and talk about games that are in it to do more than entertain. As I've blogged about before, there's a whole serious games movement that sees real potential for games as a learning tool.But can a game change the world? Do yourself a favor and download PeaceMaker:
How will YOU respond to this?
Created by a mixed American, Israeli, and Palestinian team, PeaceMaker recently won the "GaCha" award at the 2007 Games for Change conference. Here's the way it works: you're an elected leader of either Israel or Palestine. The game begins in the present day, and your goal is to is to meet the needs of your own people while also wining over the trust of the opposition -- if your popularity with both sides reaches 100%, you can effectively arrange a lasting peace.
But gaining trust from the opposition -- hell, even figuring out how to get the support of your own population -- is a challenge. You interact with the game by selecting an action to take each week: you can focus on security enforcement, political gestures, or construction projects. As the Israeli Prime Minister, do you increase police patrols in the wake of a bus bombing? Do you offer aid to Palestine to help build up their education or infrastructure? Do you tighten up the checkpoints, or loosen restrictions? Everything you do has consequences that ripple through the region. And there are multiple groups and extremists on both sides of the tension who react to your every action... you're just as often fighting an uphill battle with your own people as you are trying to placate the opposition.
It's an ambitious, fascinating game. Is it fun? Well, it won't exactly have you squealing with glee. But it certainly has an element of strategy and planning that can be satisfying, and stepping into the shoes of a world leader to make hard decisions is one of the most compelling game experiences you can ask for. In many ways -- in both theme and design -- it reminds me of Chris Crawford's classic game Balance of Power. Underneath the game map is a fascinating simulation.
But let's get back to my original question: Can games change the world? Yes they can. But not directly. It's not as though playing PeaceMaker will make everyone drop their weapons and start hugging. But it does illuminate the news, and it gives you a much deeper understanding of what's going on in the region. Raising awareness is a good start to finding a solution. If games like this were used in schools, it would help make problems in other parts of the world more real. And, maybe most important of all, it would get people talking.
Hell, I just got a few hundred thousand hardcore gamers to think about Middle East peace. That's something, right?
Download PeaceMaker and try it out for yourself! The demo will allow you to play eight in-game weeks. Consider buying the full version if you want to support more games like this. Peace out!
-Fargo
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