Water Cooler Games
Water Cooler Games served as the web's primary forum for "videogames with an agenda" — coverage of the uses of video games in advertising, politics, education, and other everyday activities, outside the sphere of entertainment.
The site was maintained at watercoolergames.org from 2003-2009, where it was edited by myself and Gonzalo Frasca. It is now archived here in full.
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by Ian Bogost September 18, 2008
US Army Invades Schools
Educational Games, Political Games, Propaganda Games
The US Army has announced a "partnership" with a group called Project Lead The Way to "to enhance student curriculum by using a variety of Army technologies to promote student interest in the engineering and technical fields." Project Lead The Way is a 501(c)(3) focused on science and engineering education ...
by Ian Bogost August 15, 2007
Tactical Iraqi's Wikipedia Spin
Political Games, Propaganda Games
A year and a half ago, Gonzalo ignited a debate here on WCG about Tactical Iraqi, a game funded by DARPA and created at USC ISI. Gonzalo's took the position that there is no moral way to support U.S. military aggression, even if it seems Sometimes I follow referral links ...
by Ian Bogost June 23, 2006
Nightline on the Terrorist Video Game
Political Games, Propaganda Games
Last month we reported (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that consultants from SAIC testified before Congress, mistakenly identifying a fan video created by a Dutch Battlefield 2 player as terrorist propaganda. Nightline ran a story on the topic last night, in which they both show the absurdity of the whole ...
by Gonzalo Frasca May 24, 2006
Reuters sets the record straight... sort of
Propaganda Games
Before I start, I must say that I haven't yet been able to find this story at reuters.com. I could only access to it through News.com, so this can mean that the wire has been modified by that site. That being said, almost 3 weeks after the Congressional Hearings, Reuters ...
by Gonzalo Frasca May 12, 2006
Transcripts from the "fake terrorist videogame" Hearings now available
Propaganda Games
(This is a follow up to a previous story, where we detailed how a Committee from the US House of Representatives was shown an amateur comedy video as evidence of terrorist use of videogames for recruitment).This post has been updated Thanks to Liz Losh, we now have the transcripts of ...
by Gonzalo Frasca May 9, 2006
Confirmed: US Representatives shown parody videogame as evidence of terrorist activities
Propaganda Games
Update: Liz Losh has managed to get the transcripts from the sessions. We will make them available shortly.What follows are several sources that point out to a very troubling fact. Unlike what was first thought, Reuters did not misreport on what happened at the Hearing on Terrorist Use of the ...
by Ian Bogost May 8, 2006
Reuters outed as crocks
Propaganda Games
Update: It appears that Reuters is not to blame here; rather, they were reporting the actual events of the congressional testimony, during which, it appears, parody was provided as evidence that terrorists are using videogames as recruiting and training tools. We're looking into this and trying to straighten it out. ...
by Gonzalo Frasca May 5, 2006
Extra! Reuters using news story to manipulate readers
Propaganda Games
Here's a link to a Reuters article called "Islamists using US video games in youth appeal". Frankly, I find it misleading, manipulative and a clear example of propaganda. Propaganda as in twisting facts with ideological goals. Basically, the article quotes Dan Devlin, a Defense Department public diplomacy specialist. This fellow ...
by Gonzalo Frasca February 20, 2006
Shame on Tactical Iraqi
Propaganda Games
"US troops use computer game to learn Iraqi gestures" it's the title of this BBC article. You certainly do not need a videogame to know that a middle finger means "get the fuck off my country you bunch of butchers". Ok, get ready cause Frasca is about to lose his ...
by Gonzalo Frasca December 7, 2005
Magic circle? You are kidding, right?
Propaganda Games
Games are virtual and they only represent an alternative to reality. Yeah, sure. Here's a very interesting article from the New York Times (Free registration required. Well, it's not really free, they keep your data) about how North Koreans are the bad guys du jour and how, interestingly, South Koreans ...
by Gonzalo Frasca August 16, 2005
US Navy Game: Wash and Rinse
Propaganda Games
I really wanted to love this game. Seriously, I did. America's Army is such a great example of persuasive gaming and I hoped the Navy released something as interesting as their colleagues from the Army. I guess they did not. I say I "guess" because I could not endure more ...
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Writing and Blog Posts
The Electronic Book, circa 1995
The Walled Kindergarten
Seeing Ultraviolet
Object Lessons is coming...
Work With Me on Tinkering Platforms
Comments
Katie King on The Electronic Book, circa 1995
Warren on The Electronic Book, circa 1995
Rumen on Object Lessons is coming...
Alec on Preview: Why Gamification Is Bullshit
nicolas on Meteors
The Electronic Book, circa 1995
The Walled Kindergarten
Seeing Ultraviolet
Object Lessons is coming...
Work With Me on Tinkering Platforms
Comments
Katie King on The Electronic Book, circa 1995
Warren on The Electronic Book, circa 1995
Rumen on Object Lessons is coming...
Alec on Preview: Why Gamification Is Bullshit
nicolas on Meteors
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What is a Game Bundle?
The Curse of Cow Clicker
Beyond the Elbow-Patched Playground
Shit Crayons
Aerotropolis
Against Aca-Fandom
There are no Blown Calls in Football
We Think in Public
What is Object-Oriented Ontology?
The Metaphysics Videogame
Cascading Failure
Top Ten Reasons I Returned My Kindle
Carrying On Over Carry-Ons
Reading Online Sucks
Chumby and the Rhetoric of Openness
The Curse of Cow Clicker
Beyond the Elbow-Patched Playground
Shit Crayons
Aerotropolis
Against Aca-Fandom
There are no Blown Calls in Football
We Think in Public
What is Object-Oriented Ontology?
The Metaphysics Videogame
Cascading Failure
Top Ten Reasons I Returned My Kindle
Carrying On Over Carry-Ons
Reading Online Sucks
Chumby and the Rhetoric of Openness