Tuesday, September 20, 2011 Making "Good" Games for Change The
topic resulted from a question by a listserv member (none of
whom I will name here), asking how best to market a free online
game meant to educate youth about career opportunities in the
nuclear energy industry. Nuclear power, particularly in the
United States, has a tumultuous history. Naturally, another user
replied with a critique of nuclear power, stating that "G4C
members should seriously question whether to help a game that
promotes such an industry." While the decision to help is a
personal one, the issues this dilemma poses is a valuable one.
As another G4C member states, "the definition of 'doing good'
seems to be what is under debate here." Nuclear energy aside,
how do we decide whether a "game for change" promotes positive
change? We could firmly deride a game that encourages young kids
to abuse drugs, but such clean-cut examples do not exist. As
games become increasingly employed as educational and persuasive
tools, games with politica