Ian Bogost - Water Cooler Games - MoveOn Social Security Contest

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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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MoveOn Social Security Contest

by Ian Bogost March 3, 2005

categories: Political Games

The PAC arm of the popular leftist grassroots group MoveOn.org is sponsoring Bush In 30 Years, a contest to create a Flash-based commentary on Social Security reform. The contest does not specifically ask for a game, but the rules clearly specify that a game are eligible for entry, so long as they are created in Flash -- the PAC sees Flash as a widely available platform for distribution. Winners will receive exposure and an Apple Powerbook G4.

It certainly is nice to see a contest that embraces political games. But this particular challenge -- and perhaps MoveOn.org in general -- represents a terrible, horrible trend in progressive communication that simply must stop. Here starts my tirade.

First, look at MoveOn's messaging. They point out that the Republicans are spending $100 million on messaging about their program to privatize Social Security. Then they make this statement:

Well, we don’t need $100 million dollars because we have the creativity, intelligence, and talent of the American people, who know how to spot a scam and, better yet, know how to expose one in Flash

This is idiotic. Grassroots outreach does have power, but it simply is not the same kind of messaging as massively financed, intricately planned public relations. The American Left's continued insistence that numbers can trump money, power, and media savviness is disturbing and laughable. George Lakoff points out in Moral Politics that progressives are stuck in a rhetorical hole -- they don't fund think tanks and foundations to hire professionals to combat conservative issues, because investing in such structures would mean taking money away from social programs! This is a fallacy the left must get over if it ever hopes to compete with conservative messaging.

Second, look at the ridiculous timeframe for this contest. MoveOn announced it yesterday and entries must be in before Friday March 25. This is absurd. Even professionals can't make this kind of deadline. When we made the Howard Dean for Iowa Game, five of us worked literally day and night for three weeks. And it's a relatively simple game! This objection could be construed as a subset of my first point above, but the broader point is this: is the requirement that progressive activists be unemployed, without family, and without other obligation?

Third, look at the way they will assess the finalists:

In the public voting, however, the fifth and final category -- Motivating -- will include tracking how many people view each entry and then immediately sign the Social Security petition at http://www.moveonpac.org/socialsecurity/. So make sure your Flash piece encourages your audience to sign the petition.

My objection to this point is less severe, but still quite pointed. At the risk of self-aggrandizement, I think I probably have more experience than just about anybody with these kind of political games -- and directly measurable action from the artifact itself is a pipe dream. Political games should instill understanding and meaningful contemplation on the issue represented. Politics shouldn't be an impulse buy.

Fourth, the contest posits a rather onerous expressive limitation on the representation of the issues:

All facts and claims made within your Flash entry must be thoroughly substantiated in writing with independent documentation or sources at the time of your submission. Recommended sources are available at http://www.bushin30years.org/, but you’re welcome to do your own research as long as you can indicate a trustworthy source.

While such a restriction seems reasonable at a certain level, almost all of my political games have made use of liberal doses of abstraction in representing the issues at hand. Such abstraction does not alter the underlying principles, but rather is simply required when representing complex topics procedurally.

Fifth, entering the contest requires that you make the work available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. That means that you have to make your work open to copying and derivative works (you must submit the source code with your entry). While such an action may not be undesirable, I personally find this technobloggish elision of a particular social position with a particular intellectual property position offensive.

If I weren't so busy, and the time weren't so short, I might still try to come up with an entry, even if just to make clear the constraints I describe here. I certainly couldn't do it alone, and I can't tell if collaborative submissions are allowed ("The Contest is open to individuals who are 15 years of age or older as of the date of entry and are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia."). More than anything, this contest shows the long path ahead of us when it comes to progressive games and digital content.

Comments (5)

"Politics shouldn't be an impulse buy"

who owns Brodmann's area 10?

the republicans are the stronger brand.

i don't know about the hogwash of neuralbranding and all, but the conservatives saw the connection between politics and shopping. no content, no discourse- just repetition and empty phrases. whatever the rich say. games at least expose the hidden agenda of politics and abstract it into new forms, unrelated to celebrity faces and the lies in everyday language.

zombiegluesniffer on March 4, 2005 10:19 PM

Zombie -- I agree with you about games, but my objection to liberal communications strategy (note: strategy, not necessarily policy) is simply broken. You can use games as political advocacy tools... but to do so requires work, and time, and expertise.

Someone pointed out to me that conservatives raise money to produce marketing communications to change policy. MoveOn raises money to produce marketing communications -- the ad's the end goal, not the policy change.

Ian Bogost on March 4, 2005 10:35 PM

has anyone heerd about harry potter

Soccersim on March 21, 2005 9:22 PM

I certainly agree with Ians commentsabsurdities within this contest abound. Even the slogan A Flash Contest to Stop the Republican Social Security Scam has a ring of the ridiculous.

WTF!, says I. What is contest going to do to fix the issues at hand? Isnt an antiquated and faulty contest to blame for what is being challenged, namely the Republican majority?

Furthermore, have a bite out of this ludicrousness: Macromedia Flash is a perfect medium to cut to the heart of this struggle between the Republicans and the retirement working Americans deserve [] inspire the American public to stand up to the Republican scam!

While I strongly believe in the power of Flash as a highly adaptable rapid prototyping and development tool has Macromedia really created something powerful enough to inspire middle-class America? Isnt that almost of an insult to former presidential candidate Kerry, that he is somehow inferior to Flash MX 2004?

In short, there are oodles that bother me about this thing, so much so that I will run the risk of being excommunicated from the hyper-liberal posters on here by saying that:

This contest is a clear realization of MoveOns flawed approach at social empowerment. They try to achieve difficult, challenging and lofty ideas and confront Republicans in the most non-confrontational and frivolous of ways. Multiple, poorly organized and publicized contests like these on MoveOns behalf do not even slightly resemble the empowered and passionate movement of the 60s that had a real and visible effect on government. Instead, todays grass-roots organization are more like Professor Chaos (aka: Butters) of South Park fame.

They have huge goals and lofty ideas they want to affect the world on a global scale and how to they go about achieving these massive changes, you ask? By switching appetizer orders between tables at Bennigans. Or by trying to flood the world with a garden hose.

Jea! As If!

Also, I want to respond directly to Ians issue with this contest as a possible venue for the creation of new political/social games. Yes, this is certainly not a proper vehicle for this. So why not create one here at Water Cooler? Heres and idea as to how:

Theres this terribly coded wanna-be-Friendster site called MySpace . On it is a profile named Activists, Volunteers, & Humor.

Every week this person posts a picture, often of a political nature, and has people post Photoshoped edits on his Myspace Blog, be they funny, meaningful or downright ridiculous.

So perhaps WaterCooler could take this idea and expoundwhy not have a monthly Make a Mini Flash Game on the Topic of the Month event. Each month people can submit whatever they choose followed by an open commentary on each others work, or maybe just a simple rate this game 1-10 system. Of course, WaterCooler would have to host these, but the added visitors youd get would be worth it. With the right people involved and some good publicity, it could be something fantastic. Maybe even something that could change a few minds (cough cough.. MoveOn cough)?