Sunday, November 18, 2007

Serious Games Changing the World?













Serious games
may not actually have the power to change the world, but they are potentially powerful in getting the users to. As a former teacher, I was constantly trying to find ways to get my students interested in current events around the globe.


After trying to incorporate as many creative and meaningful lessons as possible, I realized what worked the best: role playing. Which is why I wish I had known about this game (PeaceMaker) before delving into the educational gaming world. PeaceMaker is known as a "serious game", or a simulation that is focused on non-game events. The game puts the player in the role of a leader in the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Depending on the choices the player makes, the particular Middle East region will either experience peace or destruction.

Actual current events are presented in the game in the form of photographic images, video, and text.















According to the official game website:
  • PeaceMaker is inspired by real events in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  • Be a leader and bring peace to the region before your term in office ends.
  • PeaceMaker is two games in one: play both the role of the Israeli Prime Minister or the Palestinian President.
  • Play the news: how would you react to the events in the Middle East presented using real news footage and images?
  • Depending on what you bring to the table, we have three difficulty levels to choose from including calm, tense and violent.

Check out the YouTube video on the game too:




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