War[dot]game is a new media game that explores the two theaters of war: the battlefield and the media. Both are tactical arenas, and either can be decisive. I propose to design and install a hybrid that combines a traditional game board, touch-screen technology, and networked participation. Two players take turns launching attacks against suspected but unconfirmed military targets located near civilian populations. After each attack, both players publish a news bulletin with a headline that reports the attack and its impact on the army and civilians. Players select headlines from a pool and may release accurate or misleading reports. The networked audience receives the reports and ultimately determines who wins or loses the war based on military gains, collateral damage, and public relations efforts. A player may win on the battlefield yet lose through the media, and vice versa. Throughout the game, players (opponents) and observers (civilians) must reflect on the role of the media and the human cost of war.
The game’s battlefield will be similar to the Milton Bradley game Battleship. Players will position land-based forces in urban strongholds that are unknown to opponents and will take turns guessing and attacking locations. Web cameras will track the placement of pieces, and touch-screens will allow players to touch an area of the battlefield to attack. Public-relations announcements will be selected from a heads-up display. The state of the game will be relayed over the network, and observers will vote to determine the victor.
The proposed work is an extension of my MFA thesis work and a continuation of my current game series, which hybridizes board and video games. The piece will be realized over a course of eight months, which allows adequate time for design, prototyping, refinement, and construction of the physical elements (board, chairs, and game pieces) as well as the programming of the digital elements (touch-screen interface, graphics and algorithms).
Building the game requires the following components and materials:
What is a game if everyone wins? Or no one wins? Is it less of a game or more of a game? My work explores winning and loosing in games that we play and games that we live. I make games so players ask themselves and one another, "how does your loss diminish my gain?"