Readings for April 13

Our topic is games in strategic communication campaigns.

Games for social advocacy

• First, take a look at the website of Games for Change. This is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the creation of games for social causes.
• Browse the Facebook Game Launch Report, which is an 8-page brochure about the launch of Half the Sky.
• You might skim this blog, which is a nuts and bolts report of what succeeded and what failed in this game. It talks about the details of making a project like this work.
• If you get a chance, try out the Half the Sky game on Facebook.
• Read Kahne, Joseph, Middaugh, Ellen, & Evans, Chris. (2009). The Civic Potential of Video Games. Cambridge, MA: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
• This is a pretty easy read, but the key parts are the introduction (pp. 1-22) and the discussion of the results (pp. 40-48).
• What games do you play? Then consider: 
• How often do you play games?
• How do they affect you?
• Do you think about anything differently because of a game you played? (I believe this is true of anyone who has played a game, so think carefully about ways you may have been influenced by a game.) viii) What do games do that other media do not? 

• Go to this page on the Games for Change website. Play one game for class. This is required of everyone!
• What was the point of the game?
• Do you think it was effective? 
• Here is a video about SimCityEdu.
• You can read a little more about the game here.
• What is the point of this game? 
• Check out the AARP games page.
• Why does the AARP have a games page?

Here is the key question I want to engage:

• How might we incorporate games into a strategic communication campaign?