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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Free Political Game for Politicians
by Ian Bogost January 5, 2009
categories:
Political Games
Positech, the single-man UK developer of simulation games like Kudos and Democracy 2, has announced that it will give away copies of the latter game to any politician worldwide.
In his Free Copies for Politicians announcement, Positech proprietor Cliff Harris describes the need thusly:
The problem with running a country is that everyone who does it is entirely unqualified for the job. Every new president or prime-minister is having his or her first go at it. There are no 'practice' countries for people to have a go with before they try doing it for real. Thoery is great, but experience is better...
The press release I received was even bolder: "Video game developers save global economy, Usher in age of politician gamers." Publicity stunt? Sure, Harris has a history of 'em. But a clever stunt, one that frames games as positive cultural tools in what is arguably a more sophisticated way than the industry usually musters.
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