Forget about or . Dungeons and Dragons World of Warcraft The largest role playing game in the world is, and has always been, . politics Politics is more artificial than it is real. There’s more acting than in most Hollywood movies. It’s no secret. We all know how it works. The goal is to get your message out while stifling competing messages. To appear to be more likable. To be more popular. To win that all-important vote. It’s big business in many parts of the world. And, it’s a zero-sum game in most circumstances – for me to win, you have to lose. There are badges: Councilman, Mayor, Congressman, Senator, Governor, Premiere, Member of Parliament, Minister, Secretary, President, Prime Minister, etc. There are points: media pickups, debate wins, bills passed or killed, votes, etc. There are levels: Congressman to Senator to Governor to President. And, there are winners and losers. Like chess, there are even pawns (or redshirts for fans). If you are a voter, you’re a pawn. If you are a nonvoter, you are still a pawn (that’s a vote the other guy didn’t get). Star Trek It’s a massively multiplayer game on the grandest scale. In fact, it’s a cohesive network of interconnected worlds … but we call them countries with trade, travel, ambassadors, military, and such. The players include the politicians themselves, and an army of staff, assistants, marketing, PR agents, party members, pundits, bloggers, media, and more. All posturing and positioning to capture more attention than their rivals. And, in many cases, repeating message points they may not even understand, let alone sincerely believe in. It’s role-playing at its finest. It’s a game with big stakes. And, it’s real, sort of. Those who wonder if a game can actually influence human behavior on a massive scale need look no further than the game of politics. I'm Mathew Georghiou and I write about how games are transforming education and learning. I design educational resources used by millions around the world. Follow me here and at Georghiou.com

Meet the Writer: Entrepreneur Mathew Georghiou

Using Space Invaders to Prove All Games are Educational

businessXP — game-based training for future business leaders and entrepreneurs

The Largest Role-Playing Game In the World Is Not What You Expect

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

30 Years of Tech Tools in EdTech Development

3 Less-Known NFT Games You Can Play Right Now

3 Ways Gamification in Social Media Can Increase User Engagement

5 Best Fitness Games for Your New Years Resolution

Gamification: A New Era in Workplace Experiences

Anatomy of a strong ICO

30 Years of Tech Tools in EdTech Development

3 Less-Known NFT Games You Can Play Right Now

3 Ways Gamification in Social Media Can Increase User Engagement

5 Best Fitness Games for Your New Years Resolution

Gamification: A New Era in Workplace Experiences

Anatomy of a strong ICO

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Minty

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps