tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post115408421845507377..comments2023-09-27T07:39:16.056-07:00Comments on Gone Gaming: Current Crises, Future GamesColdfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154485367179390782006-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:002006-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00Sorry, make that "Terra."Sorry, make that "Terra."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154485286343017292006-08-01T19:21:00.000-07:002006-08-01T19:21:00.000-07:00Have you played Terro?Have you played Terro?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154173429578994032006-07-29T04:43:00.000-07:002006-07-29T04:43:00.000-07:00Designing one of this games is one thing. Getting ...Designing one of this games is one thing. Getting it published the other: Which company really want to produce a game with a "touchy" theme? Risking an outcry? Very few I suppose.<BR/>And think of BGG debates about slavery in PR or even Bushs foreign policy (which comes up every now and then in geeklists alike) - what more will there be if its a game about lebanon? It is impossible to create a game about a current affair without hurting feelings. And for a companys point of view, this is bad advertisment.<BR/><BR/>Another reason: Who would play it? You play to relax, tackling worlds questions doensnt seem to be relaxing at all. That most games about current affairs are educational doensnt help the reputation either.<BR/><BR/>And: With a topic from the past you are less likely to be involved in a way. There are tons of games about Pompeii, but making a game about the Tsunami ibn Bandeh Aceh wouldnt be very well recieved. Its OK to play Familiy Business, but Suicide Bomber is not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154113872659603742006-07-28T12:11:00.000-07:002006-07-28T12:11:00.000-07:00I guess DW and others hit it on the nail. You can ...I guess DW and others hit it on the nail. You can buy these highly topical games, but who are you going to get to play them. And that's really the most important part of f2f gaming. The faces that play. I already have a good doorstop called Wizard. I don't have room or use of another one.(And I have many games collecting dust mind you).<BR/><BR/>All politics aside, the biggest problem with these highly topical games for me isn't even the politics of it(I'm pretty opened minded about current events), but rather they just suck as a "game".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154108666635084212006-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:002006-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00I'd like to throw out some cynical obeservations t...I'd like to throw out some cynical obeservations that hit me as I was reading your thought provoking article.<BR/><BR/>"There have been a lot of games dealing with presidential elections, but none dealing with the mechanics and challenges of governing America from the Oval Office. "<BR/>I haven't observed a difference between being in office and running for office.<BR/><BR/>"Can you persuade western governments to increase their aid?"<BR/>I don't see any way to model this other than a die roll and we all know how our crowd reacts to dice.<BR/><BR/>The last game shows some promise...<BR/><BR/>Actually, most of these games sound interesting, but I agree with some of the earlier respondents that topical issues may look silly before the shelf life has expired. <BR/>Also, it is easier to play the part of the evil German empire in WWII, because we know that they were defeated in the real world history. Playing the part of a pilot guiding a plane into tall buildings (or the mastermind behind the deed) might not be as much fun because the ultimate triumph of the "good guys" isn't assured.<BR/>One other factor that works against a serious treatment of these topics is that there isn't common consensus about today's events. It's easier to look back in history and set up sides with unique strengths and weaknesses for events/world situation as it existed in the past. For example, today, it would be difficult to prepare an OOB for the current Israeli-Hizbollah conflict.<BR/><BR/>But if these games get produced, I'll be looking at them, but I may have to meet DWTripp somewhere to actually play them.qzhdadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00052783136246015481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154101709316984362006-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:002006-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:00Why would I want to play a game based on current e...Why would I want to play a game based on current events? I play games to relax, and for entertainment. Wrestling with the "thorny issues of todays world" just doesn't strke me as a lot of fun. Of course I think the guy should always get the girl and movies should have happy endings.Kimbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06995433348691401361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154098089617233482006-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:002006-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00I would argue that most of the political games we ...I would argue that most of the political games we could list are either out of date(for instance, games based on the cold war) or are not realistic. (I realize that realistic is in the eye of the beholder, and thus hard to define. Let me just say that I consider a game like Here I Stand to be a relatively realistic treatment of the politics of its era, but I game like Lightning War on Terror is not). <BR/><BR/>And yes, games that are especially topical could date rather quickly or be in bad taste. I would think that a game based on the current conflict in Iraq would not be kosher because our soldiers are still dying there. But I am not suggesting that we need games so topical that they are rooted in a particular year. A game based on the modern presidency could have events based on anything that has happened since the fall of Communism, plus any number of hypothetical events. Such a game would not necessarily date quickly.Kris Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06148348334050550026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154097568252818322006-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:002006-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00Some great ideas Kris, those all sound like games ...Some great ideas Kris, those all sound like games I would enjoy playing. Keep 'em coming!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154091548156619272006-07-28T05:59:00.000-07:002006-07-28T05:59:00.000-07:00In some ways, topical games have been around for d...In some ways, topical games have been around for decades. Examples are <A HREF="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1727" REL="nofollow">Summit</A>,<A HREF="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1958" REL="nofollow">Game of Nations</A>,<A HREF="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3549" REL="nofollow">Superpower</A>,<A HREF="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/18210" REL="nofollow">60 Minutes to Save the Earth</A> and <A HREF="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/785" REL="nofollow">Dog Eat Dog</A>. I also had a copy of a game produced on behalf of UNICEF which involved the process of fair trade with poorer nations (as I remember); but it was roll-and-move and passed out of my collection.<BR/><BR/>There have also been other topical games which are far too political to even consider worthy of playing. The trouble with a game being too topical is that it can cross a line where some would find it offensive.Pawnstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138454253813433739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1154086640173310692006-07-28T04:37:00.000-07:002006-07-28T04:37:00.000-07:00I would suppose that boardgames based on current, ...I would suppose that boardgames based on current, still unfolding events would have too limited a shelf life. <BR/><BR/>An initial print run of a typical, non-award winning game is usually still available 2-3 years after its initial release. In this day and age a lot of other factors can come into play in 2-3 years which the designer could not have envisioned.<BR/><BR/>Video game makers can better address these issues because their product already has a limited shelf life. In 2-3 years a video game is ancient history.Coldfoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.com