Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via Games

Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via Games

January 27, 2009

As we saw in 2008 with Breakthrough's immigration rights-themed I.C.E.D!, non-profits are increasingly turning to game tech to reach a wider - and younger - audience.

Along that line Ars Technica reports that Games for Change has released a toolkit designed to help non-profits tap learn how to tap into issue-oriented games of their own.

The Games for Change Toolkit is primarily a Flash-based presentation containing video, reference material, and links to demonstration games that cover various aspects of game design, from the initial concept to production and distribution. While an actual [software development kit] may not be involved, the toolkit introduces nonprofit organizations to both the broad potential and finer details of bringing an issue-conscious game into reality...

The Toolkit covers seven primary topics and introduces each with a video snippet of their relative presenter's speech: Urge, Concept, Design, Production, Distribution, Evaluation, and Case Study...

Comments

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

I hope it's used to make games that aren't as completely one-sided as ICED was.

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

The purpose of persuasive works are to show the posities and benefits of your side while showing the cons of the oposing view point. If you were to make a work that gave equal weight and showed no bias you would be making an informative work.

While yes, persuasive works can be informative they are primarily persuasive. ICED was a persuasive work. It was meant to get the player to side with the ICED designer.

I would certainly hate to see political and persuasive games limited to only being informative works.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

And I would hate to see them limited to only persuasive works.  To me, showing only one side, while demonizing the other, is akin to lying and spreads ignorance.  ICED was ridiculous.  I half expected the authorities to sprout horns and start breathing fire.

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

Well ICED was only one-sided if you accept the ridiculous argument that says that people should only be allowed to live or look for work in certain areas of the world, and that those who cross an imaginary line into areas where whiter people live ought to be imprisoned.

If free market capitalism has any chance of succeeding, barriers to trade (and that includes restrictions on the free movement of labour) need to be removed.

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

Well, there is a place in gaming for pure informative works and there is a place for pure persuasive works. ICED just happened to be a persuasive work.

If you didn't like the one sidedness that in inheirent in all persuasive works and in ICED, perhaps you can make a non-biased game about immigration and deportation.

I don't think they ever tried to hide the fact that they had a bias. So why complain about the existance of that bias?

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Game Dev Toolkit Helps Non-profits Tackle Social Issues via

As soon as certain camps get ahold of this, we may see hilarous results.

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
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Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
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ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
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Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:16pm
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:15pm
Flamespeak: working on other things makes me angry. I might have had a jet pack by now. :p
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:14pm
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Posted 11/21/09 at 09:07pm
Alyric: @Zip: FYI, the construction of solar panels puts out more pollution than any form of energy production. To say nothing of the toxic components of the panels that cannot be recycled.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:04pm
ZippyDSMlee: I know I know not the point.
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