Anyone with experience of US airports since 11 September, 2001 will appreciate Persuasive Games' latest serious (but highly entertaining) title, Airport Insecurity, "a game about inconvenience and the tradeoffs between security and rights in American airports". The long queues, self-important TSA staff who could pass for monsters from the deep in a blind test, corporate coffee every three feet to tide you over as you wait for the 3 1/2 recommended hours before take-off... The email from the company's CEO Ian Bogost (he of watercoolergames) in my inbox caught me laughing, in a kind of knowing, smug way:
Airport Insecurity is a game about inconvenience and insecurity in American airports. While the government wants you to believe that increased protection and reduced rights are necessary to protect you from terrorism, the efficiency and effectiveness of airport security practices is dubious. Airport Insecurity allows you to explore these issues in context: the game's rules are based on government reports about airport security practices since 2002.
And here's the best bit:
To consider the game's implications fully, players are encouraged to play the game while waiting in line at airport security.
Persuasive Games - "a leading developer of videogames for social change, education, and persuasion" - most notably were responsible for two political games released to critical success in the run up to the 2004 US election, Dean For America and Take Back Illinois. You can buy Airport Insecurity and emulate it (Java and reg. required), or you can buy it for a Nokia mobile phone (Series 60)
If you want to hear it all from the horse's mouth, Ian's in London next week for the European Advertising in Games Forum.
