Video games can be used to focus on real-world issues and provoke intelligent debate. That’s according to Ubisoft Toronto boss Jade Raymond who was speaking about the state of the games industry in an interview with Develop.
“The Arab Spring, class divide, internet freedoms… why aren’t there triple-A games about these topics? We can actually use the interactive power of our medium to talk about these subjects in a way that can provoke discussion about them.” she said, adding that while these subjects probably won’t become the core focus of games, they can quite easily be made a part of them.
“I am a realist – at $60m per triple-A game it’s not likely we can make a subject like this the core of a brand new IP. Games may be stuck in this narrow genre of action shooters – but that shouldn’t mean we are stuck.” said Raymond.
“So why not weave more meaning into existing blockbusters? Maybe GTA could make a statement about the penal system? Or maybe games like Call of Duty could make a statement about sexism? Maybe Splinter Cell could make a statement about the ethics of interrogation?” she continued.
“The first step is to add that into existing blockbusters, it’s easier to do it this way than introduce a new IP and be riskier with your content and your message.” the Ubisoft Toronto boss added.
The full interview is available to read in Develop magazine, or on Develop Online.
There’s more from Jade Raymond here on The Train2Game Blog, including her advice on getting into the industry.
What are your thoughts? Should video games make more of an effort to focus on real world issues?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
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I have often thought games could be great tools for teaching history – much of which is way more twisted than even the best game writer could conceive. For example there was a total conversion of Civ III to teach Canadian History, but I would much rather play a first person shooter based on the Riel Rebellion, or race car game based on Kootenay moonshine runners during the prohibition era (narrow roads, steep cliffs, low tech cars and tommy guns).