OrsonM
Our man
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
- Messages
- 555
Newsflash, there's ALWAYS going to be some group in the local area that could use charity work. There's ALWAYS going to be someone who needs help in the neighborhood. If you refuse to offer any assistance to anyone who doesn't live nearby until the locals are taken care of, you'll always be able to employ that excuse to avoid ever helping anyone.
Buying a war game is a lame and very lazy attempt at aiding people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility
Under Criticism:
"Some critics believe that CSR programs are undertaken by companies such as British American Tobacco (BAT),[19] the petroleum giant BP (well-known for its high-profile advertising campaigns on environmental aspects of its operations), and McDonald's (see below) to distract the public from ethical questions posed by their core operations."
Civilization, the game that asserts that there is a civilization called "Native Americans" with a city called "Poverty Point", with wonders of the world like "Copernicus Observatory" and Pyramids that unlock political thinking (and social policies that come from Monoliths) is perhaps the last game anyone sane enough would consider "educational", but Firaxis and 2k have been running (for a long time) the charade that the highly entertaining game is also educational.
The first assessment, that the game is highly entertaining is by all means true, the second... more or less debatable (although it may lead to gamers to eventually become interested for popular history, if they aren't already fans of it).
"At Firaxis our motto is that we do the research after we make the game."
-Sid Meir
http://www.strategy-gaming.com/interviews/sid_meiers_pirates/
Is Civilization doing this to give the appearance that they are an educational game?, yes, are they doing it because they are involved with education? sort of. Do they want to give the appearance that they are involved with education? by all means!
there are basiclly 2 issues here, one that this for PR, and they could have done it better, you don't have to go far far away to help the world, you can be good by helping around those who live close to where you work too, and the second one is that it is lazy for gamers to act all high and mighty for this. You didn't saved the world here, you bought a game that was 50 dollars and you chipped a bit for 2k's PR stunt.
I think the real question should be: does ANY aid ever help? This is a pretty contested topic.
That's a good one.