Games like the one above seem in questionable taste given the threat from swine flu, the virus which has claimed lives in Mexico and the US. Yet the defence offered by games designers is thought-provoking for everyone with an interest in media and public relations.
The Guardian newspaper spoke to Ian Bogost, co-founder of Persuasive Games, which designed Killer Flu, a game actually commissioned by the UK Clinical Virology Network. "Our game is about increasing information and reducing panic," he told the paper. "Playing out worst-case scenarios is how we make sense of things." Bogost also explained why he thinks games have a power and impact not held by other media: "They allow you to understand how systems work. Epidemiology may actually be better explained in game form than by pamphlet or documentary."
Tellingly, Bogost also believes that no subject should be denied the gaming treatment: "There was a time when we asked the same questions about the novel," he said. For the PR practitioner looking to find compelling ways to bring issues to life - and reach young audiences - this medium has clout well beyond one-dimensional news or side-bar graphics. Swinefighter apparently notched up more than three million plays in one week.
