How Can Video Games Teach Us About Political History?
For many years, gamers were content with playing games purely for the entertainment value of the game itself. These initial games had very little backstory (when a backstory was even necessary) and the characters were merely placeholders that were not meant to detract from the entertainment value of the gameplay itself. This changed rapidly once the turn of the 21st century hit and the global political climate began to heat up. Game developers saw this unfolding and chose to marry political history with their innovative gameplay. Let’s explore some examples of this unique fusion and how it can be used as a teaching tool.
Tropico
You can’t talk about political history without talking about the Tropico series. Tropico is slightly different from other political-based games as it focuses on giving a more playful look at how dictators ruled during various parts of world history. Since the gamer is the one playing out the campaigns in the shoes of the dictator, however, it can be seen as more of a teaching tool to showcase how dictatorships are formed and nurtured by their leaders. As the dictator, you encounter the threat of rebellion and the need to achieve economic development which provides a thought provoking assessment of political history from an institutional perspective.
Military Games
Ultimately, when you think of games that feature political historical elements are those that have militaristic elements to it. Medal of Honor was one of the first (if not the first depending who you talk to) games to take into account actual historical events. Of course, it kind of helped that the game’s story was created by famed film director and producer, Steven Spielberg who used it to give the public a taste of his upcoming miniseries, Band of Brothers.
It wasn’t until Call of Duty released the first installment of Black Ops at the end of 2010 that politics was inserted into the historical context of the gameplay. In Black Ops, the game’s main protagonist, Alex Mason, meets with then President John F. Kennedy in 1963 less than 2 weeks prior to his own assassination. JFK gives Alex authorization to assassinate the main antagonist: Dragovich, but Mason has been brainwashed by Dragovich to kill JFK.
Once the game ends, archive footage is shown of JFK’s assassination, showing that Alex was an onlooker on the day of the assassination. His presence suggests that Mason may have been responsible for the assassination, but that is up to the interpretation of the gamer. Those interested in the historical backstory detailed in the game will likely be enticed to research the actual events and become more acquainted with the political history that led to these events occurring in the first place.
Closing Thoughts
The fact remains that these video games are hugely influential both culturally and economically. Ignoring them because they don’t immediately resonate with gamers due to their disinterest in the political history element is a missed opportunity for developers and gamers alike. How history is represented in these titles, how the player interacts with the world and why historical settings are utilized need to be discussed. The educational benefits of the titles may not be inherent to those playing the games, but then again, that’s not why they’re paying $60 for the game itself; it’s to be entertained.
The political historical knowledge acquisition that gamers acquire is more of a byproduct of gaming and that’s perfectly OK. In the end, developers aren’t looking to develop games for budding political history majors. They’re looking to bridge the gaps between their games and major topics of discussion in the world right now. With the global political climate of the world constantly heating to a boiling point, it makes sense that political history topics are being integrated into the latest AAA games.
