Game development studio in the UK partners up with a political party.
Recently, gaming and politics have been clashing in ways that no one would have thought of before. The debates on microtransactions being considered gambling is just the most recent example of where studios and governments clash. However, a studio in the UK is trying to take their relationship with their government a step further.
Games for the Many is a studio that believes in the use of games to advance certain political views. Richard Barbrook, creator of the studio, has teamed up with one of their Chancellors, John McDonnell, in order to create “war-games.” These games will supposedly explore possible future scenarios if certain changes to policies or legislation is made.
The studio gained popularity for publishing a politically charged game, called Corbyn Run, and now have secured a way in which they can be more prominently active in their national campaigns. They aim to inform the public of political agendas and possibly even change the way people think about a certain politician or party. Their recent partnership with the Labour Party of the UK has brought them, once again, into the spotlight. They were featured on plenty of news outlets, one being BBC for which they were interviewed.
Games for the Many is charting brand new territory. Never has a studio been so active with politics before. If there was any interaction between politics and gaming, it was usually a clash, a battle, with gaming on one side and a certain politician or party on the other. This is the first time where gaming and politics will work hand in hand for, hopefully, the betterment of society.
