The first game I played was called Deliver the Net. The point of the game was to drive around Africa delivering bed nets before the mosquitos came out in order to save the people. The faster you went and the more nets delivered, the less people in Africa dying from malaria. I believe this game is very educational in a positive way. It is educating people on what is really going on in Africa with deadly diseases. It is showing that the government needs to send bed nets over there to save the people. If enough people play this game, the incentive to send more nets over seas might increase. This is an effective game because it allows people to be aware of what is going on in other parts of the world that we don't necessarily hear about.
The next game I played was an Obama influenced game. The way to play was to answer questions about the United States such as who was the first president, what the colors of the American flag are, etc. Each question that you answer no matter if it is right or wrong, you are donating 400 pixels toward the Obama advertising campaign. By donating pixels, you are ideally helping post "Obama for President" signs all over the internet. This game is, I feel, a persuasive game because it is persuading you to keep answering questions in order to help promote Obama. They are persuading you to help because if you are willing to help him advertise, you are essentially planning on voting for him.
The final game I played was Darfur is Dying. In this game, you choose a child or adult in Darfur to get water for his or her family. While you are running to get the water, the Janjaweed militias are coming to capture you and bring you to the camp. When you see them coming, you must hide behind a rock. If you happen to get captured, you have to try to survive in the camp while your family is back at home trying to survive. This game, although very sad, is extremely educational. It is making the people aware of how bad life in Darfur really is. This game shows the realism of the hardships those people are going through every single day. If enough people play this game, a change could be made. Darfur is a very serious and dangerous place and something really needs to be done to help those people. I believe a video like this; giving people an idea of how terrible Darfur is at this time, could make people want to make a change and try to help those people in the best way they can.
8 comments:
The first and last game Gina commented on were similar in that both were used to raise awareness and educate the player about the hardships people are faced with in underprivileged nations. Although I agree that both these games are educational, I disagree that the Obama game is persuasive. Instead I would classify it as an advergame because it is advertising and promoting obama's campaign via internet.
the second and third game that you blogged about seems to be the most popular games were played and blogged or commented on, but the first game that you mentioned I had not yet seen mentioned. I would definitely agree with you that this game is trying to educate people and raise awareness about the disease that mosquitoes carry and pass on to people in Africa. and maybe this game will do its part in helping to educate people.
I also played the Obama came and found it to be persuading, but I also analyzed it as being an advergame because it promotes and displays Obama all over the website which the game is on. The other two games you played sound very interesting and I agree with you on how you analyzed both of them.
There is only one problem with the Darfur is Dying game. It doesn't show a lot of work on the part of the people of Darfur. Instead it seems to insist that they are completely reliant on the help of outsiders to deal with the rebels. Most of the game is spent hiding or rebuilding after expected attacks. This makes some people less willing to help them. If a group isn't going to actively try to help themselves then they shouldn't be mothered by the rest of the world. Its similar to those entering drug rehabilitation, no one can help you until you help yourself.
I thought the Deliver the Net game was very similar to the Darfur Is Dying game, except not as challenging or sad. Playing in the little sad village in Darfur and running from trucks to forage for water really pulls on the heart strings more than a guy on a scooter handing out nets.
I like the netting in Africa game. It is clearly an attempt to educate us on what's it like in Africa, as you said. There are many things happening in Africa that we don't generally hear about. Malaria, being so common in Africa, is probably one the issues that are "brushed under the rug" because it has become an everyday happening.
I think that the last game you posted about is very persuasive. The first time I heard about it, I was shocked that someone would make a game about that. It could offend the people of Darfur, and the fact that it was a game seemed demeaning. But, I realized with the way that we live now, that is the only way we can experience their suffering since it seems that we haven't really reponded by other means.
The Darfur is Dying game was an eye opening game for me that made me realize what kind of things that are going on in Darfur. It is an educational and a real game, where it is teaching the player about a city in Africa and is also giving live facts about it.
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