Ian Bogost - Water Cooler Games - US Oil Consumption Sim

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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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US Oil Consumption Sim

by Ian Bogost January 24, 2004

categories: Public Policy Games

Web-based simulation company Forio has a US Oil Policy Simulation that lets you choose policy positions, Mad-Lib a presidential speech, and see the results in a graphical format.

In this simulation, you are elected President of the United States on a platform of reducing U.S. dependence on oil imports. How will you achieve your goals? You decide on initiatives that include everything from opening oil fields in Alaska to mandating improved fuel efficiency of new vehicles. Then you write a speech to the American people outlining your policies. The simulation shows if you were able to achieve your goals by 2020.

I'm specifically more interested in creating embedded experiences for communicating specificl policy positions, and then allowing refinement. One of the design strategies I think works well in complex scenarios like this one is to create a fluid environment where individual policy actions create immediate results, and the player can adjust and fine tune his or her thinking about the policy without having to re-run the whole scenario.

But this tool does give you a very fast view of US dependence on foreign oil.

(thanks to Clive again)

Comments (6)

How can you have an oil policy simulator that doesn't have a "change the gas tax" option.

Neil on March 30, 2004 12:57 AM

Why is there not an initiative to convert diesel-consuming items to biodiesel?

Zeke on September 10, 2004 8:13 AM

What are toays national oil consumption numbers?

Kris on October 14, 2004 12:43 AM

What are todays national oil consumption numbers?

Kris on October 14, 2004 12:43 AM

If you go to my site it is incomplete right now, but I am working on it daily.

These policies still won't work even if we get radical. What is needed is for companies to offer more telecommuting, workers moving closer to their workplaces and to not have such huge houses. Making the houses we do have way more efficient, by using way more insulation and higher efficiency HVAC.

Robert on January 4, 2005 3:51 AM

Sorry, forgot to include the kudos in my haste to write my rant. This is a Great tool, I am thinking about giving the customization a try.

Robert on January 4, 2005 3:59 AM