Gameplay Politics

[Nick_Tan]

Politics is a risky business. And with Presidential Pong and an education simulation of gerrymandering now swimming in the public, video games are encroaching ever closer to it. If the barrage of criticisms against Bully before it was released is any indication, video games can make people react and reflect on current social and political constructs. Indeed, the power in art is its ability to disturb the norm, what we think is correct, and so a vindication of games as art can be found in this way.- which begs the question: How political should games become? Is the current political state of video games healthy, lacking, or in excess?

 

[Ted Wolff]

Lacking

 

[yorky]

Lacking, although I can't say I mind. Video games are my means of escaping the world. And in that way they are indeed art (if they do it well, of course). It doesn't need to get political to be art, in my opinion.

This isn't to say that games can't or shouldn't get political. I just wouldn't like it to become the norm, because we see politics pretty much everywhere else.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Politics and video game are like hookers and schools. They just don't mix right. If they do, things get dirty, the parents get mad, and truly everyone just ends up getting fucked.

 

[UrbanMasque]

Politics has been in games since gaming has been out - ever since MGS made references to the cold war and the consequences of it. Also, games like , "America's Army and Counter-Strike where you have a clear good guy and bad guy, usually terrorist and non terrorist. World in Conflict, new game coming out referencing the cold war. several veitnam spins and the call of duty and medal of honor... Wolfenstein is even an exaggeration of the experiment that people thought the nazi's were doing.

[IMO - politicians pick out video games to blame for bad parenting b/c they see the games as a reflection of what society is becoming]

politics in games have a RICH history - and i think its fine, as long as game developers themselves dont get political and make a game like, "dont stop till the job is done", or, " The War on Terrorism".

 

[Ted Wolff]

A problem I see is this: It takes, on average, about two years for a game to be developed. With such a dynamic world, delivering on-the-pace commentary is impossible.

Finding the balance between a relevant, applicable political message and its infusion into games is the idea, as UrbanMasque pointed out with the Metal Gear Solid reference.

A game doesn't need to outright denounce an administration's current geo-political policy to be political. Beyond Good & Evil is a good example: a quality story told about who's pushing the messages behind a movement of war or attack.

It's impossible to tease politics and games apart, and they've been intermingled subtly, again as UrbanMasque stated. Heck, what's more political than the masses choosing whom they want to represent them in making games by voting with their wallets that they like Bully and not The Bible Game?

 

[UrbanMasque]

Heck, what's more political than the masses choosing whom they want to represent them in making games by voting with their wallets that they like Bully and not The Bible Game?

well said.