Gaming for the Nobel Peace Prize

At this year's Game Developer's Conference, the yearly "Game Design Challenge" competition was to create a game that could conceivably win the Nobel Peace Prize.

This year, gaming luminaries Cliff Bleszinksi (Unreal, Gears of War), Harvey Smith (Deus Ex, System Shock, and now over at Midway Austin), and Keita Takahashi (Katamari Damacy) gave presentations for the game they thought was worthy of the prize.

I was curious as to how this was going to shake out, and even more so after reading CliffyB's tidbit:

"My powerpoint slides are ready to go on my USB memory stick. I'm overwhelmingly nervous and excited and giddy and I think that what I've come up with might have a shot at doing well."

Then I ready Douglas Wilson's (GameSpot.com) blog about the presentations.

You should read the full blog about all three presentations, but here's his short version of CliffyB's idea:

Bleszinski spoke next, presenting his idea for a first-person "empathy game" that places the player in the role of a father. The goal is to keep your family alive and intact, and to "stay physically and emotionally close to your family." Bleszinski claimed, "Our medium has the power to make people think twice about anything."

Bleszinski further proposed that the UN could require world leaders to spend time on the simulation, in order to prevent leaders from detaching themselves from the full implications of their decisions. He imagined that there could be different versions for specific regions and races, and even suggested that the leaders publish their "scores" for accountability.

Contrasting his design with existing police and army simulations, Bleszinski pointed out players of his game would be "meant to sympathize with the civilians" rather than the soldiers, and thereby "put a very human face on civilians caught in war."

Harvey Smith won, and props to him (I think the guy is seriously talented, and his public honesty about "what's important in life" motivated me to change the way I do things on that front).

But (admittedly not having been there) I can't help but feel CliffyB was robbed.

Smith's game sounded more fleshed out as a game concept, and it sounds like Takahashi-san had the most entertaining and euphoric idea.

But Bleszinksi's idea resonated with me, and seems important. Almost an extension of his design ideas in Gears of War, where he wants to put truly stunning architecture throughout the game, so players "feel sad that it's been destroyed". It sounds something like what Hideo Kojima plans to do in terms ogame playay and "heart" for Metal Gear Solid 4 (see this post for a little more).

I want games to resonate with me. Not all games (that's why I play Halo 2 Rocket Ball or "Bludgeon Ball" home-grown variants), but some games. That's why I'm looking forward to Gears of War, BioShock, Metal Gear Solid 4, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Lost Odyssey, and (maybe) Lost Planet.

Note: And, yes Folks, I know the Gears of War site has been down -- that's why I stopped linking to it. And thanks for letting me know, but you realize I don't have anything to do with that site, right?