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May 1, 2006
Instructive Games
Jeff of Kinshasa on the Potomac mentions yesterday's rally here in DC to save Darfur. I now regret not attending the rally, but as Jeff points out, rallies such as yesterday's draw desperately needed attention to a serious humanitarian crisis. Jeff also mentions the Washington Post article on a video game that was "launched" by MTVu in conjunction with the rally called "Darfur is Dying." The game is part of what is described as a "games for change" movement that intends to instruct game players on social issues as well as to move the player to take action, whether by writing a letter to the President or one's Representative in Congress, as well as other actions.
The primary game itself is relatively basic. You take on an avatar representing a Darfurian in a refugee camp. You can be Poni, a thirteen-year-old girl or Jaja, a twelve-year-old boy, and your goal is to obtain water from a distant well 3,000 meters away before you are swept up by the members of Janjaweed patrols in passing jeeps. After you are captured, the game explains the likely fate of a Darfurian child under those circumstances, explaining that a Darfurian girl is likely to be raped while a boy may be killed or abused if he is captured, as well as describing the difficult circumstances that many Darfurians face.
As Jeff's entry points out, such a game risks exploitation: "I realize that, when conducting an information campaign, one has to appeal to people using whatever methods seem most likely to get a positive response. But, this particular idea is in such poor taste, that it should be stopped." I think the game avoids any of the voyeuristic or lurid qualities that would at best be in "poor taste." And it depicts in relatively explicit terms the defenselessness of the Darfurians. Your only options in the game are to run and hide. Of course a relatively simple Flash game cannot depict the scale of the crisis, but I'm not sure if that is even possible. Like Jeff, I'm somewhat conflicted about the game, but I do think that calling attention to the genocide in Darfur is urgent and hope this game can contribute to the public's awareness of what is happening in Darfur.
Posted by chuck at May 1, 2006 10:35 AM
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