Games with Political Meaning

There used to be a time when a videogame was built and played solely with entertainment in mind; sentimental stories, political messages, or historical accuracy were not even considered during the development of Pac-Man, or Space Invaders. But with the evolution of games came an evolution in their purpose. Sure, the vast majority of games out there are still created for enterainment, but there are a new genre of games which have come into their own since the turn of the century. Games with meaning.

However, in an industry that is already still very much in its fledgling years when compared to established media institutions (Radio, TV, Movies), these "games with a message" are themselves, in their infancy. And as like with any other newly emerging media, there are bound to be a number of hitchs and bumps in the road. Some a little more obstructive than others.

One game in particular, in my personal opinion, seems to straddle the line between being a historically accurate and valuable game, and a game lacking in a little taste. I'm talking about JFK Reloaded, referenced in Bogost, page 132. As we saw in class, the objective of the game is to prove the Warren Comission's report on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Namely, the controversy surrounding Lee Harvey Oswold's incredible level of marksmanship, if the reports are to be believed. The game contains a full physics and ballistics engine, and creates a realistic 3D world from the point of view of Oswold's sniping position. The player is then given the task of recreating, shot for shot, the assassination.

Now, there is obvious historical value to this game; if nothing else, it can be considered a simulation, which, had it been around during the aftermath of the actual assassination, could've been of great aid to the federal investigators. However, I think that it's a good example of a game that could've benefited from a bit of sensativity. I'm not sure how, entirely; perhaps add a bit of context with cutscenes that set up the assassination, and the tragic aftermath. In any case, I believe that in this extreme case, the historical value to be gained from the game is overshadowed by the upfront brutality of the game. The player is shooting the assassinated president. Even for an industry in which shooting other digital characters is commonplace, assassinating an actual political figure through authentic and demanding circumstances seems a little much.

My bottom line is that while I think that games like JFK Reloaded certainly have value, and should be made, I think that there should be great care taken to at least tone down the realism of the software. Take Super Columbine Massacre RPG, for example. It's similar in that the player is cast as the perpitrator of an incredibly heinous act, and as such, explores the motivation and causes behind the event. However, it's presented in such a way that allows a certain disconnect between the player and the events that occurred. Had Massacre been created as an FPS, I feel even those who support the game now would be at least a little more hesitant to do so.