If you could design a video game that addresses a current societal issue, what would it be about and what kind of impact would you hope it would have?

[killamch89]

This is going to be a good one - we know that modern society has many issues that needs rectifying so what kind of game would you design to address one these issues and how much impact would you hope to have?

[Empire]

In moderation, games aren't so bad. Spending an hour or two gaming in the evening can be a good way to unwind after a tough day. The problems only start when the games are starting to interfere with a person's normal, everyday activities like working/studying and personal hygiene. And so that's what I look into more then anything to not bring in things that are related to what is been going on around you. Can be hard to get around this as everyone is differnt. 

Like if you are a train driver, you would not end up playing a game about trains Xd if you been on shift all day at a stressful level. 

[The Blackangel]

I would create a game that would address the political situation here in the states. It's beyond volatile, and has actually become life threateningly dangerous for some people to even leave their homes. Specifically, the LGBTQ+ community. More often than not, it's the transgender community that's in the crosshairs.

This country is about to implode, and we're going to end up in a full on civil war again. There have already been mass murders. As of December 20th, last year there were 300 school shootings. This year there have been there have already been 71 mass shootings. Two of which happened only 2 days ago. This link here shows a list of the shootings we have had.

I'm a gun owner, but we need to do something about it. But the right wing will fight it, and then ignore any laws passed anyway.

Edited February 17, 2023 by The Blackangel

[Reality vs Adventure]

Most societal issues is only an issue because bigots make it an issue. I could make a game where you kill the bigot, but what good will that do? Maybe have a game that tackles everything. Everything??? How would I do that? It would have to be a pretty huge game. There could be a bunch of AI programmed bigots that you have to deprogram. Mr. bigot gets funds to create bigoted AI machines looking just like regular people who spread bigotry to the world. I would have to be able to determine who the bigot is, and try to find the memory of their network to deprogram their bigotry. Kind of like how in Watch Dogs you can scan a person's profile. Some hint could pop up to lead me to believe they are a bigot and I'll have to spy on them and change their program. The game could be called Bigots Among Us. The game could spread awareness and help you determine who is a bigot. It would be publicized on a mass scale to get people wondering who the bigot is. They would make jokes like, your'e the bigot!!! No, you are because of so and so. It will shine the light on and define what a bigot is. It will be a clear game message on billboards you see driving by, and on ads, the market place, stores, saying Bigots Among Us!! Don't Be a Bigot!!! Parents will refer to their child if they do something wrong, they would tell them don't be a bigot!!! There will be books and movies and shows as an adaptation called Bigots Among Us. It will spread to every country and the whole world will be able to recognize a bigot. 

[Shortie]

I feel if I were to make a game that addresses current issues then it would have to be a game based around depression and hidden disabilities. I feel as a society we still forget that many people do suffer with hidden disabilities and also mental health and all too often these things get ignored and it makes those who suffer with them feel bad about how they are feeling. It's an awful vicious circle to be part of. Being able to create a game based on both mental health and hidden disabilities I feel would be great to get the word out there and make more people realize that these things do exist and they are not just made up. 

[Shagger]

8 hours ago, Shortie said:

I feel if I were to make a game that addresses current issues then it would have to be a game based around depression and hidden disabilities. I feel as a society we still forget that many people do suffer with hidden disabilities and also mental health and all too often these things get ignored and it makes those who suffer with them feel bad about how they are feeling. It's an awful vicious circle to be part of. Being able to create a game based on both mental health and hidden disabilities I feel would be great to get the word out there and make more people realize that these things do exist and they are not just made up. 

 

The big challenge presented to people when making a game about less obvious disabilities and mental health is, well, having to make them obvious. Ninja Theory managed to show schizophrenia and psychosis in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.

 

 

I posted about a while ago it in the form of a kind of mini review (Find it here), but to summarise it worked well in that game because the nature of Senua's condition.  When observed from her perspective it is very apparent, the difference between her mind and a healthy one is very clear to the player, but still really brings you into her situation by blending your perspective into hers to the point whare you can't tell whether any of this real or not.

 

With something like depression or anxiety, it's a much more passive and subtle condition that would be cumbersome and unintuitive to work into a gameplay mechanic. Even I as a suffer of depression can't think of a way to make that work that wouldn't be, frankly, embarrassing. The world looks normal, sounds normal, feels normal and undistorted. So what would you do, a quick time event to pull the character away from the edge? A button mash to help the character fight a panic attack? It's just awkward and wouldn't really convey it the right way. It works much better as something observed in a story that you can then influence from the outside, like with character Kate Marsh in Life is Strange. That way you see the full effect of the debilitation because that's the nature of it and how it's best observed.

 

 

So whilst there are games that have done this well like Hellblade and Life is Strange, there are games that have done this sort of thing badly, like The Quite Man.

 

 

It's a game whare you play as somebody who's deaf, so there isn't any audible dialogue or sounds. This had potential, it did, but the problem is that you are expected to be able to lip-read, like the protagonist can, to understand any of the dialogue because there are no subtitles by design. And even if you could lip read, you are at the mercy of the third person (Yes, third person) camera to be pointing in the right direction, which it often isn't. There are even points whare there are things he reads, and clearly read them, but you don't get to because the camera didn't give you a chance to. The game has other issues as well, but the problem is this context is that you simply can't relate to the character because you can't understand what's going on, so you can't sympathise with his motivations nor admire him for moving past his impermeant because he isn't struggling. You are struggling as the player, be he isn't. An admirable concept, but deeply flawed in it's execution. Maybe there was no way to do that in a way whare it would actually make the game playable, but still accurately simulate what it's like to not be able to hear. I don't know, all I'm sure of is that it would take somebody with more brains than me, not to mention more brains that those responsible at Human Head Studios and Square Enix, to make it work.

 

 

[The Blackangel]

I face the same issues as Senua, among others, but making a game of this style almost becomes pointless. Those that don't face the same disorders have no idea how to relate to the character. That makes the games harder than they need be all to often. If you aren't schizophrenic, you could never relate to Senua. If you aren't outcast, you could never relate to LiS.

So games focusing on any disabilities are on a razors edge between getting it right, and completely failing in the attempt. More often than not, they fail.