Film Futurist

Over the last couple of weeks, the murmur of a strong movement in interactive media properties aimed squarely at the target of social change seemed louder than usual. Perhaps it was my discovery of Impact Games’ Peacemaker Game which though over two years old, existed entirely outside my radar until I heard the creator and former Israeli army officer Asi Barak speak at The Conversation. I was moved by the youth appeal of this ostensibly strange experiment designed to get young people in the Middle East engaged in the questions and solutions of the region. It reminded me of the success of World Without Oil, the Alternate Reality Game that challenged its players to operate in a fuel scarce world. In 1997 with 1,800 players and 60,00 visitors, WWO not only made a statement but put the player in the position of having to think through the issues and act, as a form of play.

I know those of us who came of age in an era when gaming was entirely console based, simplistic in the “kill or be killed” bloodbath sort of way, the appeal has been limited. But I see that changing in creative and completely engaging ways. For instance, this week saw the launch of Armchair Revolutionary, a non-profit that uses money generated from their games to support innovative science and technology projects attempting to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

According to the Geek Gestalt blog, the games available to play on ArmRev are also lessons in social change. The article reports that among the first games are a “videogame called “Make Waves” that is designed to provide users with real-life social activism tools while they manage part of the ocean in a virtual environment modeled on the real-world. Second, “Hack Your Body,” a three-part effort designed around the “fast approaching genomics revolution” that includes the Personal Genome Project; the development of commercial software that will allow users to analyze their own DNA; and a full-length commercial documentary film about genomics. And “End of Darkness,” a publicly financed company that aims to build clean energy infrastructure for the poor.”

For anyone thinking about social change, it has become imperative to consider the impact of interactive play as active learning. Its power cannot be underestimated, especially among younger players for whom interactivity is a way of being, and not merely a time consuming pastime. Nowhere is this more of a priority than Games For Change, a hub for innovators and artists in this space to share their games with the public. In a quick peruse through the games, I immediately noticed how youth-focused the play was, and rightly so, as that is the audience we need to be innovating for.

I believe that the need to educate on social issues is pressing and to do it artfully and beautifully is an enormous but exciting challenge. I’m glad gaming is starting to fulfill its potential across the board and I’m looking forward to delving more deeply into specific games in coming posts — looking at them in terms of their design, content and social impact.