Ian Bogost - Water Cooler Games - Iran releases state-funded oil disruption game

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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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Iran releases state-funded oil disruption game

by Ian Bogost September 30, 2006

categories: Educational Games , Newsgames , Political Games

According to the NY Times, the Iranian government has funded a videogame that illustrates how to disrupt world oil supplies by blowing up a U.S. tanker in strait of Hormuz. This recalls Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's warning that oil exports might be put in jeopardy if the U.S. doesn't back off Iran's nuclear program.

The game, called "Counter Strike" (no relation to the Half-Life conversion) was produced by eight people in three months.

I had a hard time categorizing this entry. Is this a newsgame? Is it an educational game? Is propagandist, or is it perhaps the first example of a videogame-based geopolitical act, wherein the videogame itself serves as part of the Ayatollah's warning? Would it be inappropriate to call this a "diplomacy game"? Some might perceive Iran's gestures as threats rather than negotiations, but doesn't the game itself serve to advance a position in international relations? Fascinating stuff. I wonder if we'll see more of this.

(thanks to Jane)

Comments (4)

I love the questions you're asking here-- is it a geopolitical act to produce a videogame? Is this a rhetorical move-- a threat? Are they actually trying to plant the seed for this specific action as homegrown terrorism? Please keep us posted on what you find in the rest of the media and blogosphere in terms of critical and public and state reaction...

Jane McG on September 30, 2006 6:59 PM

Yeah, but is it a *good* game that doesn't suck? :)

Which makes me wonder how non-European/US/Asian countries' people judge games... Do they have a big gaming community?

Mark Chen on October 1, 2006 3:29 PM

Yeah, I haven't seen the game Mark. We'll have to figure out where to find the game...

Ian Bogost on October 1, 2006 4:07 PM

Anyone see MSNBC today, there was a teacher who was FIRED for bringing her students

to a MUSEUM !

The way the right wing spins everything is dangerous.

They keep pushing that kinda stuff, and eventually, there will be a law against it.

Same with video games, and everything else.

The way it works....