Why use a Game?

In the SXSW session Games: Tools for Mass Media, the presenters McCall, Taylor, Augustin and Portnow explained how games are different from other communication media. Importantly, a game is interactive; it allows users to be engaged in a story to explore an idea or to influence an outcome. Today a game can be distributed as easily as a tweet. Passive listening in a lecture is one way and the listener is often left out.

Games like "Fate of the World," and "Peacemaker" have the potential to make a positive impact because they cover real world issues. In the game Peacemaker the user gets to play the other side and see what it is like to be "over there."

One of the presenters, Michael Augustin is the creator of GameSalad a free game creation tool that anyone can use.

Read more about GameSalad on their Blog