Water Cooler Games

by Ian Bogost February 23, 2009

Flower and Climate Change

Activism Games

I'm planning to write in much more detail elsewhere, soon, about thatgamecompany's new title Flower. For now, you can read Clive Thompson's take on the game at Wired.com, which boils down to this: "OK, OK, I get it. Flower is about climate change." ...

by Ian Bogost January 28, 2009

Social Issue Games Toolkit

Activism Games, Game Design, Public Policy Games

Games for Change has announced the release of Let the Games Begin: A Toolkit 4 Making Social Issue Games, a multimedia resource for organizations interested in using games as a part of their outreach and communications efforts. Here's how they describe it: The Toolkit guides organizations through the process of ...

by Ian Bogost November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Special! PETA's Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals

Activism Games, Political Games

As those of us in the States gluttonize on Thanksgiving turkey, those of you who haven't seen it might want to try out PETA's "unauthorized" Cooking Mama satire Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals, which hit the web a week or so ago. Like PETA's KFC attack game Super Chick Sisters, ...

by Ian Bogost September 17, 2008

Free Culture Game

Activism Games, Political Games

Take a look at Molleindustria's fascinating Free Culture Game. The game bills itself as "a playable theory," and the theory in question is a loose amalgam of critiques of knowledge capitalism, the principle that ideas are owned and subject to control. Through its rules, the game advances the idea that ...

by Ian Bogost August 21, 2008

Packaging Man: Skip the Wrapper and the Game

Activism Games, Public Policy Games

Consider a new game Packaging Man, which its creators bill as follows: an environmentally themed video game ... to raise awareness about the destructive impact fast food paper packaging has on Southern forests. The game which is a new take on the classic video game, Pac-Man, follows the exploits of ...

by Ian Bogost June 9, 2008

Pictures for Truth, an Amnesty International Game

Activism Games, Console & PC Games, Newsgames, Political Games

Pictures for Truth is a game about human rights violations in China, and also the first game developed for Amnesty International, according to its developers. Created by a group of professional game developers and volunteers from Quebec in their off time, the game puts the player in the role of ...

by Ian Bogost April 28, 2008

I am a Gorilla

Activism Games, Educational Games

Clark Boyd interviewed me the other day for a piece on BBC's The World radio program which covered a mobile game supporting gorilla conservation. The game, called Silverback, is a cute, involved J2ME title in the platformer-adventure game genre. It turns out the game was actually created back in 2003 ...

by Ian Bogost February 16, 2008

Dating Violence Game Contest

Activism Games, Game Design, Social Games

Brian Crecente reports that his brother has launched a flash game design contest for games on the topic of dating violence prevention. First prize is $1,000, and entires are due April 15, 2008. More information here. ...

by Ian Bogost June 27, 2007

ActionQuest ATL

Activism Games

My Georgia Tech colleague Celia Pearce and the Design Studio for Social Intervention are about to run ActionQuest ATL, a "Big Game for Social Change," which will run in conjunction with the United States Social Forum June 28 - July 1. You can sign up online or in person (Little ...

by Gonzalo Frasca March 13, 2006

Digital Intifada + Game as Critic as Art videos

Activism Games

Vit Sisler from Charles University in Prague has posted two excellent articles about political games, mainly focusing on the work of Afkar Media (the second article is an interview to its executive producer, Radwan Kasmiya). I have some issues with them -that's not unexpected given the hot topic of Middle ...

by Gonzalo Frasca March 1, 2006

Molleindustria interviewed at Gamasutra

Activism Games

Gamasutra interviews Paolo from Molleindustria about the McDonald's game and other relevant issues connected with political games. Btw, the McGame got its own website Mcvideogame.com In a clear example of tabloid tactics, the evil capitalist, CIA-funded Gamasutra media moguls try to generate frictions between the political games movements. In a ...

by Ian Bogost February 7, 2006

Disaffected Update, T-shirts

Activism Games, Advergames, Console & PC Games

I wanted to give our readers a few useful updates on the state of Disaffected!. First and most importantly, we've rev'd the game to v. 1.0.3 on both PC and Mac. The update fixes several bugs, changes some awkward joystick controls (not the intentionally awkward ones), and corrects a few ...

by Ian Bogost February 2, 2006

Molleindustria's McDonald's Game

Activism Games, Advergames, Political Games, Social Games

Just two weeks after we released Disaffected!, WCG amici italiani Molleindustria have released another specimen in the now-rapidly-growing anti-advergame subgenre, this one a scathing critique of the McDonald's corporation. Visit the "official" website to play. The game requires the player to learn and master all the complex techniques of a ...

by Ian Bogost January 17, 2006

Persuasive Games launches Disaffected!

Activism Games, Advergames, Business Games, Casual Games, Console & PC Games

I'm happy to announce that my studio Persuasive Games has released Disaffected!, a videogame parody of the Kinko's copy store. The game puts the player in the role employees forced to service customers under the particular incompetences common to a Kinko’s store. It gives the player the chance to step ...

by Gonzalo Frasca November 25, 2005

The French Democracy: The Movies' Machinima

Activism Games

By way of Collision Detection, I learned this morning about The French Democracy, a machinima film created with The Movies. The film deals with the recent riots in Paris' suburbs and seems to have been created by a French player. While some details are questionable (cops don't ask for passports ...

by Ian Bogost November 8, 2005

Persuasive Games Announces the Release of the Mobile Game 'Airport Insecurity'

Activism Games, Casual Games, Political Games

I'm very happy to announce that my studio Persuasive Games has just released Airport Insecurity, a mobile game about inconvenience and the tradeoffs between security and rights in American airports. The game is available for purchase for the low, low price of $3.99, and it's currently compatible with Nokia Series ...

by Gonzalo Frasca June 21, 2005

Equipping Game Developers to Glorify God

Activism Games, Religious Games

The 4th Christian Game Developers Conference is taking place on July 28-30th in Portland, Oregon. Along with Ian, we have promised ourselves to attend for a couple of years now, but we have always been too busy. I don't think I'll make it this year neither, but I don't lose ...

by Gonzalo Frasca May 1, 2005

Ressurection = Bonus Life?

Activism Games, Religious Games

Going to the Christian Game Developers Conference has been a plan that Ian and myself have postponed a couple of times now. Every year, as July approaches, we feel the urge to witness this "alternative" GDC held in Portland, Oregon (a fantastic city in spite of the rain). Note to ...

by Ian Bogost April 8, 2005

Global Solutions Summer Games

Activism Games

Citizens for Global Solutions, an activist outreach group and PAC that focuses on the broad area of global problems, has announced the Global Solutions Summer Games Contest. They are seeking entries of "simple games about international issues." The deadline is June 15, and up to eight jury selections will receive ...

by Ian Bogost March 24, 2005

Hold the meat

Activism Games, Social Games

Vancouver-based Veggie Games specializes in "games that promote kindness and compassion towards the animals that share our planet, and increase awareness about environmental issues." Their recent release Steer Madness allows the player to take the role of Bryce the Steer, who you can pilot to rescue animals, deliver soymilk, protest ...

by Ian Bogost March 13, 2005

Unicef Games for Kids

Activism Games, Public Policy Games

I just found out about Unicef Games, a small but growing game portal for the well-known advocacy and fundraising organization (thanks to Barry). It seems Unicef has created two games so far, World Heros and Halloween Coin Toss. Halloween Coin Toss is quite simple and really has nothing to do ...

by Ian Bogost February 3, 2005

Destroy the Rainforest Game

Activism Games, Public Policy Games

Ok, it's really a game about preserving the rainforest, but it's pretty terrible. The Rainforest Foundation has commissioned Congo Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Bark. The game is a sidescrolling platformer. The player controls a monkey or a bear or something who has to avoid flying chainsaws. It's ...

by Gonzalo Frasca November 30, 2004

Greenpeace Games

Activism Games

We have previously discussed the Atari 2600 Greenpeace game, but thanks to Sofia, I think that we just hit the ecological gaming jackpot! Greenpeace actually host A DOZEN different videogames on their website. The themes and quality is varied, but there is enough material here to analyze for quite a ...

by Ian Bogost October 18, 2004

Live from the Serious Games Summit DC

Activism Games, Business Games, Educational Games, Public Policy Games

I am back from our London show opening (pictures soon) and here in DC for the Serious Games Summit. The conference has a very "official" feel, thanks to CMP, which is an important step. Oddly, no badge lanyards tho, only pins. Aren't lanyards the sign of officialness? Anyway, I'll do ...

by Gonzalo Frasca September 18, 2004

Making and unmaking the world

Activism Games

Who knows? Maybe we are not on the right lists. Maybe we were not paying attention. I guess we could even blame some computer glitch. But the fact is that sometimes we miss the opportunity and publish some links a bit late. Today, thankfully, it was just a day late. ...

by Gonzalo Frasca July 9, 2004

Playing with Mother Nature

Activism Games

Not really sure what to make out of this, but maybe that's because of my own political beliefs on ecology (coming from a Third World country, sometimes I believe that most of ecology is a rich country sport, not when it comes to saving rivers from being polluted with lead ...

by Gonzalo Frasca July 5, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11 - the videogame?

Activism Games

Ok, the title probably caught your attention. Yup, it's a cheap tabloid trick, but it should remind you that you should never believe what you read, see or play, not even on this, your friendly site. Anyway, there is no Fahrenheit 9/11 game (at least yet, are you reading Michael? ...

by Ian Bogost April 28, 2004

Mayday Netparade

Activism Games, Political Games

Care of Molleindustria, the Mayday Net Parade, "a virtual demo that runs thru a heavily guarded and branded city put under siege by insurgent legions of brain+chain+temp workers and assorted anarchists, commies, queers and greens." More net art than game, but definitely worth seeing. ...

by Ian Bogost April 22, 2004

Wired on Political Games

Activism Games, Newsgames, Political Games, Social Games

Wired News ran a nice article today on Playing Games with a Conscience, featuring quotes from myself, Gonzalo, and Noah Wardrip-Fruin, our friend from the field and Grand Text Auto. The article features Gonzalo's September 12 as well as Educational Simulations' Real Life 2004, which we discussed recently here on ...

by Ian Bogost February 21, 2004

Become the Ultimate Poacher

Activism Games, Political Games

Developer Exileworks announces Poacher, the wild game trader game. From the developer website: You fight and struggle your way through the African Congo to the deep jungles of India as you hunt for the most famous of endangered species; all the while avoiding and battling the dreaded Game Wardens.  Poacher ...

by Ian Bogost January 22, 2004

"Save the Whales" for Atari 2600

Activism Games, Console & PC Games

Apparently someone made a game for Atari 2600 called Save the Whales, whose proceeds were supposed to benefit Greenpeace. The game was never released (follow the link above for screenshots). You control a submarine that must "Save the Whales" by shooting the harpoons or nets thrown by the ship at ...

by Ian Bogost November 20, 2003

Tobacco Baron (Norwegian)

Activism Games, Political Games, Public Policy Games

Jill Walker points out a rhetorical game that simulates a tobacco empire, Tobakkbaronen. The game seems elaborate and high in production value, but it's all in Norwegian, so I'll just quote from Jill's commentary on it: It's a strategy game, done in Flash, where you play a tobacco baron and ...

by Gonzalo Frasca October 26, 2003

September 12th reaches 100.000 players

Activism Games, Newsgames, Political Games, Public Policy Games, Social Games

100 thousand persons have played Newsgaming.com's September 12th during the last few weeks. When I launched this journalistic/political game I knew I was taking quite a risk with its design/scope, but I am thrilled at seeing how well it is performing. So far, reviews have ranged from “an interesting experiment ...