Visible line of argumentation: Should we play the news?
The BBC has recently published a game of war, but not a Call of Duty kind of game. The Syrian Journey is about the horrible ordeal the refugees have to undergo to get to a safe haven, Europe. The questions is if it is a good idea to make a game about such serious issue. In my opinion it is. We should embrace games as a new medium of exploring serious subject matters.
First of all, unlike traditional news media, games can give the gamer a better perspective on the serious subject matter. Because of its interactive features, a news game like the Syrian Journey puts the gamer right in the refugees’ shoes. They get to relive their stories and their troubles instead of hearing about them from an old boring anchorman.
Secondly, news games can broaden the audience. It is well-known that younger generations are getting less and less interested in old-fashioned news broadcasts. In the age of technological advances, it is almost impossible to expect youngsters to engage with the news in the same way the older generation do. By making news stories more interactive, teens are more likely to follow the current news.
To sum up, games should find their way in the broadcasting industry because they bring many advantages. They allow the gamer to feel the news and be in it. They also attract a wider audience. While some still have to get used to it, in future, playing the news could be just as normal as reading the news.
Lesson duration is: 45 min
