Sweden launches campaign to spread peace, love and democracy - through videogame

[Nemo1024]

The Swedish government has launched an initiative which it claims will spread values of democracy and creativity throughout the world – via the medium of video games.

Under the banner of Democreativity (a word-merge, apparently), a taskforce invited suggestions from around the world on the topic of “the most unlikely game ever made”.

It seems the government wants to get away from the country’s video-gaming staples of male-dominated violence and competition – Sweden’s most successful export so far in the industry has been the Battlefield franchise.

...

And according to Democreativity, gamers no longer want traditional male characters or female characters – they would prefer to play as an “indefinable”, non-gender entity like an emoticon or a cursor.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/sweden-launches-campaign-to-spread-peace-love-and-democracy--through-videogames-9264452.html


I shudder whenever someone says "promote democracy". It seems I am not the only one. On one of the Russian sites, re-printing the news, a reader posted the following comment:

A new game to promote democracy? But there's already Call of Duty.

I also see a further push for removal of gender roles and identity there.

[Wilikon]

Re-programming

[practicaldreamer]

Do people want freedom ? Or do they wish to act as they see fit without being accountable for their actions (i.e.. they want power) ?

The thing with peace/love/democracy is that it only takes one bad apple to make the whole enterprise go pear shaped  

The solution - take trust/responsibility out of the hands of the individual and decentralise/share it - thats why we all know there's something great about BTC - right ?  

Don't know where video games fit in the grand scheme of things to be honest. I can see the function if they were to act as vents for aggression etc. - but quite how they'd promote peace/love/ democracy I don't know.

[Nemo1024]

I think Wilikon nailed it with one word, but I would even remove the "re-" bit. Take 'em while they're young.

There are already games out there that promote kindness and familiy values in a subtle way, without actually stating it as a goal.
I start getting weary when a government starts stating such goals.

[Mike Christ]

A government is the last thing that would know anything about peace, love or democracy, so it's no wonder they need so many people to explain it to them.

[bryant.coleman]

Oh... Sweden... the land of radical feminists and emasculated males. 

http://whitegenocideproject.com/stalinist-sweden-new-law-criminalizes-criticism-of-immigration/

A new law will come into effect in Sweden after Christmas 2014, and it will allow people to be prosecuted for criticizing immigration or politician’s unwillingness to tackle the issue. The Constitutional Committee’s report has been voted for in parliament, seen in a letter from the Parliamentary Offices. Member of Parliament Andrew Norlén, member of the Constitutional Committee, has been pushing the issue and he says it will rapidly become a deterrent.

[freedomno1]

Well this was a weird one for me
So I play as a buttocks shaped pair of toasted shorts

[Bit_Happy]

Why are modern video games so amazingly violent?
In a "free market" certainly there must be a demand for peaceful competition?

OK, maybe not this peaceful. 

[niothor]

I think Wilikon nailed it with one word, but I would even remove the "re-" bit. Take 'em while they're young.

There are already games out there that promote kindness and familiy values in a subtle way, without actually stating it as a goal.
I start getting weary when a government starts stating such goals.

But based on your assumption ,we have to tackle  everything that a government does as a possible threat to our liberty , pockets , minds?

[Nemo1024]

I think Wilikon nailed it with one word, but I would even remove the "re-" bit. Take 'em while they're young.

There are already games out there that promote kindness and familiy values in a subtle way, without actually stating it as a goal.
I start getting weary when a government starts stating such goals.

But based on your assumption ,we have to tackle  everything that a government does as a possible threat to our liberty , pockets , minds?

Not exactly tackle, but governments tend to have a nasty track record in those areas, so any such initiative automatically raises a few red flags and blows a few whistles.

[niothor]

I think Wilikon nailed it with one word, but I would even remove the "re-" bit. Take 'em while they're young.

There are already games out there that promote kindness and familiy values in a subtle way, without actually stating it as a goal.
I start getting weary when a government starts stating such goals.

But based on your assumption ,we have to tackle  everything that a government does as a possible threat to our liberty , pockets , minds?

Not exactly tackle, but governments tend to have a nasty track record in those areas, so any such initiative automatically raises a few red flags and blows a few whistles.

Worrying that much about what the government is planning to do will get you killed faster from stress than they can do it.