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.
I frequently get emails from PR agencies hocking their clients lousy advergames. I usually save these up, but I realized that it's been too long since we railed on a crappy advergame.
Here's Foot in the Door, from Monster.com, the job ad website. According to the press release, the game is "a fun, interactive way for job seekers to relax while making fun of the experience of getting into an interview, and the hurdles they find in the process."
To play the game, you throw feet. At doors.
If this were just a cute game that they threw up for a laugh, perhaps I'd be less cruel. What amazes me is that Monster.com actually seems to believe that the game has something to do with their core business offering (again from the release): "we hope Foot In The Door helps players see how Monster can help them walk through the door to their next great career." What's even more unfortunate is that a game about how to perform well in a job interview would actually be a really interesting game. Throwing disembodied feet? Not so much.
Information is Beautiful
The Art History of Games
The Art History of Games
Objects & Things
Object-Oriented Ontology Symposium
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