CTIN 542: Open Mic Thesis Bibliography, Abridged

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CTIN 542 Open MicThesis Bibliography, Abridged
Susana Ruiz CTIN 542 - Sp 05 Prof. M. Naimark
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JFK Reloaded
is a simulated reconstruction of the
assassination of JFK that puts you in the role of
Kennedys assassin, presumably Lee Harvey Oswald.
You must kill the president according to the
forensic findings of the Warren Commission. You
submit your scores to the site, and winning in
this game means coming closer than anyone else to
killing the President, that is, replicating
history more accurately than any other player.
The awareness of how disturbing a role it is to
assume, and how difficult a task it is to
accomplish, makes for a profound experience.
www.jfkreloaded.com
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September 12th

• is a sort of editorial simulation, much like a
  text editorial or an editorial cartoon. You have
  the choice to kill terrorists running around a
  small town and if you choose to do so, you soon
  realize that your actions have consequences. It
  is a simple simulation, yet within the grammar of
  the interaction itself, lays powerful content
  that promotes critical thinking.

www.newsgaming.com
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911 Survivor

• is a simulation about the attacks on the World
  Trade Center in New York. Because of its highly
  controversial subject matter, the game no longer
  exists online. Similarly to JFK Reloaded, for
  the user who chooses to engage in it and is not
  unable or unwilling to experience it - I have
  heard from others that this piece can cause you
  to pause in great reflection.

www.selectparks.net/911survivor/
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Peacemaker

• is a CMU game based on the Israeli Palestinian
  conflict. The player can choose the part of the
  Palestinian President or the Israeli Prime
  Minister and must react to in-game events, from
  diplomatic negotiations to suicide bombings and
  wage her decision carefully in order to establish
  a stable resolution before her term in office is
  up. The game seems to follow the SimCity model of
  simulation.

www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/peacemaker/
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Eyewitness

• In Eyewitness, the user explores the Nanking
  Massacre (which occurred on December 13th, 1937
  and lasted six weeks 300,000 Chinese civilians
  killed by Japanese soldiers) through the
  perspective of a photographer who must take
  photographs in order to amass the necessary
  evidence to act as witness and attain justice.
  (Interestingly, this is EXACTLY one idea I was
  and am still considering, mainly because if
  offers the user engagement not via a victim nor
  perpetrator nor bystander, but via an objective
  character with an important mission.)

www.mic.polyu.edu.hk/nanjing/design.asp
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Tropical America

• In Tropical America, you begin as the sole
  survivor of a terrible massacre in
  Western-colonized America -- you must find four
  pieces of evidence to bring justice to the memory
  of your small village. Again, the concept of
  seeking justice by inhabiting the role of
  historical witness. The game is a very elegant
  example of interactive narrative. The game was
  developed in collaboration with Los Angeles
  artists, teachers, writers and high school
  students. In my capacity as Teaching Assistant at
  the Institute for Multimedia Literacy, I am
  currently collaborating on a similar project lead
  by one of the artists of Tropical America. This
  project is ongoing and is lead by Tara McPherson.
  

www.tropicalamerica.com
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Pax Warrior

• is a game that has received very noteworthy
  critical press and is based exactly on the Rwanda
  genocide. Again, it is not yet available online
  and I am in contact with the lead designer in
  order to share ideas and become a beta-tester.
  Interestingly, in this simulation the user takes
  on the specific role of a very important
  individual, UN Commander Romeo Dallaire a man
  forced to make and accept vital decisions.

www.paxwarrior.com
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WTP Food-Force

• An aircraft circles over a crisis zone. War.
  Drought. People are hungry. This is the virtual
  world of the Food Force video game. WTP
  Food-Force is a game about the UNs World Food
  Program. It delivers a surprisingly heavy load of
  information about the ways the WTP delivers food
  to the earths hungry while engaged in fun play
  missions Pilot a helicopter over a crisis zone
  in Sheylan to locate the hungry Drop food from
  the air if at first you lack cheaper routes into
  Sheylan Guide a convoy of trucks safely to a WFP
  feeding centre in Sheylan Distribute food aid
  within a Sheylanese community to help the
  residents rebuild etc.

www.food-force.com
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Peter-Packet

• Peter Packet is a superhero who helps messages
  move across the Internet. Follow him on his
  exciting adventures along the Internet highway.
  Play the game and learn how the Internet works to
  help Peter bring important life-saving messages
  to different parts of the world. With your help,
  he can overcome hackers and viruses to help kids
  from Haiti to Zimbabwe have access to clean
  drinking water, education and the medicine they
  need.

www.jengajam.com/r/Cisco-Packet