Non-Party Cheerleader: a socially engaged video game

Mingki Hong’s video, Non-Party Cheerleader_tutorial, formatted similarly to tutorials found on gaming live streams, provides instructions for playing the video game, Non-Party Cheerleader. While this game does not exist in reality, its conceptualized purpose becomes clear through the video tutorial. The game would provide an unbiased, comprehensive live-streamed platform to help users navigate and understand social issues related to Seoul, South Korea.
This imagined game removes barriers that keep people from accessing news coverage of current social issues. As a hub for varied information regarding each topic, the game solves the common problem of only being exposed to information that reinforces one’s political position. While the internet allows for ease of contact across vast distances, social media algorithms and Facebook groups fill our newsfeeds with content that reinforces identified political beliefs. For example, during the United States presidential election, The Wall Street Journal shared a side-by-side split screen webpage that revealed the drastically different articles that show up on a liberal vs. conservative user’s news feed. It can be overwhelming to find varied sources for a well-rounded point of view, but by using the form of an entertaining game, Hong’s game concept provides a convenient and entertaining way to sift through massive amounts of information covering a given social issue.
The main character of this game is the Non-Party Cheerleader (NPC) whose name has dual significance. The character is named after the unbiased NPC’s or Non-Player Characters commonly found in video games, such as shopkeepers or helper figures, who solely exist to provide information and advance the narrative. “Non-Party” also makes reference to a lack of political party affiliation and “Cheerleader” to supporting (or cheering-on) those engaging in political discourse.
In Hong’s idea for this game, the player would select a social issue for the NPC to engage with in real time. The player then would watch the NPC conduct a live interview at a social event, such as a protest, as it would occur in real time. At any time, the player would also have the option to instantly jump between different social issues particular to Seoul that they wish to explore such as the pro/anti presidential demonstrations, the gentrification/development of the Norangjin Fish Market, and LGBTQ rights. In each social issue, the Non-Player Character interviews people with differing political views, including those affected by the given social issue. Meanwhile, news alert pop-ups from credible news sources related to the given social issue appear in a box at in the corner of the screen as the articles are published in real time.

This game would be logistically impossible to function in real life, since it relies on real-time engagement between social issues, and it would be impossible for an NPC character to instantly jump between locations and social issues to engage with real people at all hours of the day and night. Hong instead presents this game as an ideal of how we should approach political issues. We viewers are encouraged to act as unbiased Non-Party Cheerleaders in order to broaden our understanding and promote dialogue around social issues. In light of recent political events in Korea, such as the ousting of President Park Geun-hye through peaceful protest, Hong encourages us to stay informed and continue to engage. Through actively and consistently engaging with these socio-political issues, we have the power to effect change in society.
Minki Hong’s NPC_tutorial is exhibited at the 17th Seoul International New Media Festival (NEMAF) and won “Best Propose” in the Glocal Propose X department.

