So, games aren’t just for fun?!?

As Ian Bogost argues, games are a powerful medium for the expression of ideas, especially with respect to the notion of “procedural rhetoric.” Though he only mentions it briefly in this introductory chapter of Persuasive Games, Bogost is a notable figurehead helping to lead the expressive game revolution, attempting to convey political and philosophical messages through his many games. His expertise in this field is self-evident in his writings, which are swollen with examples and supporting citations (over 160 in one chapter! So many) from new media writings. It is partly for this reason that I find it hard to argue with many of the arguments he makes. In addition, the examples of games he uses to articulate his points seem highly obscure to me (with a couple of notable exceptions), while at the same time they are perfectly appropriate and further his arguments very well. It is writing such as that of this chapter that can have an overwhelming initial impact on readers, based on the depth and breadth he uses in articulating and supporting his theories.

There were still a couple of areas where I took some issue with a few of Bogost’s remarks. Stylistically speaking, I was frustrated by the ways that he would occasionally explain or break down his arguments to the level of very fine historical or otherwise technical details. For example, his account of the ancient history of rhetoric and oratory vis-a-vis Plato and Aristotle is certainly relevant, but I felt that it dragged a bit to the point where it could distract the reader from the larger points. Another example of this was on page 27, where he detailed hypertext and process intensity, and I felt that the level of detail seen here slightly bogged down his argument momentarily. There are also certain portions where he quotes so many authors in such a short period of time that it can be easy to forget who is making each specific point (i.e. page 23).

Bogost covertly describes instances of propaganda (i.e. the LBJ commercial) but I felt a more open investigation of propaganda might have been merited in his discussion of visual rhetoric. Akin to that notion, one might also relate the concept of kitsch, which is essentially “cheapened art” that is usually self evident in meaning and therefore begs little interpretation (think of a garden gnome or a portrait of a 1950s American family happily eating Thanksgiving dinner). And kitsch and propaganda are commonly seen in just about any type of video game in one form or another, be it the music, action, scenery etc.

Regarding the McDonald’s game (makes me want a hamburger!...just not with any of the additives I put in the burgers while playing the game), I looked at the tutorial first (interesting and somewhat appropriate that it is positioned above the “start a new game” button, since the game can be complex to grasp at first) and then started to learn how to be a good capitalist. At first I found the game surprisingly difficult, but then I recalled all of the terrible things I could do in the game to help me increase profits. Hooray! But I still never got very far. Who knew it could be so easy to bankrupt McDonald’s!