It's All Fun and Games Until...

The level to which our games indoctrinate us and try to shape our values is actually pretty incredible.  Classics like Monopoly and Payday instill the singular value that whoever gets the most money wins.  The most extreme case is the game of Life, which clearly communicates that acquiring the most money the is whole point of Life.  I played these games as a kid, not recognizing the absurdity of that idea, and the process that has been at work for quite a while, continues to this day in living rooms across the country.

I have been aware of that issue for a while, but it seems to be manifesting itself in a new way recently.  Instead of promoting excessively greedy materialism, the new trend seems to be games that promote eco-friendly behavior.  I saw one strategy board game at a Christmas festival that was all about renewing the forests.  They were being sold by the inventor in his booth, and he attempted to explain the rules to me.  I am actually curious whether the underlying game is a good one, before being re-skinned to its green theme.  Then I got the newest addition to Settlers of Catan today, which it turns out is all about oil.  If you use too much oil, it will eventually destroy the island, and deliberately foregoing oil is rewarded.  They directly address the polarizing nature in the rules, but claim they don't want to involve themselves in the political debate, that it's just a game.

I am not necessarily opposed to the shift towards games promoting more conscientious behavior, but it is getting kind of ridiculous.  I am for being a good steward of the earth's resources, as we are charged to do so in the Bible, but the idea that our individual choices effect the climate is a pretty arrogant assertion.  Kids don't need to be bombarded with this propaganda.  I found all sorts of things to worry about growing up, based on selective exposure to age inappropriate information. (Nuclear weapons, viruses, rapture, etc.)  The last thing kids need is to be filled with a fear that the world will be a barren wasteland by the time they grow up.  And of course on top of that, it's their parents’ fault, for driving an SUV.

So it might be worth taking a look at the games we play.  Most video games are based on the idea of staying alive as long as possible at any cost, which may not be the most Biblical model for values.  On the other hand, SimCity might hold they key to rebuilding the country, in that it illustrates what happens if the government spends more than it brings in in tax revenue.  Maybe we need to send free copies to everyone in Congress.