The mainstream media is slowly becoming less prone to treating videogames like a taboo. Case in point, 35 year war journalism veteran Tony Maniaty, and his plans to create a training/entertainment videogame about being a tele-journalist in a war zone. The game is calledWarco, and its currently in the planning and funds-gathering stage of development. Mr Maniaty, who has worked as a war-based correspondent since the Timor Civil War in 1975, states that he was inspired to create the game after watching his son’s playFar Cry 2.“I thought it looked like journalism – you’re in a situation you’ve got to talk your way through. The environments seemed very similar.” he says ‘”I had the idea of replacing a gun with a video camera but I thought it must have already been done. I found that it hadn’t and I was quite staggered.“
Of course, he’s gotten some flack from other journalists, who continue to hold an almost instinctual dislike for videogames as a medium. One was quoted to have said “I don’t like the close association between a video game and real-life war.” Looks like that particular journalist has never heard of theCall of Dutyseries, or any of the other “real-life war” games that have dominated the gaming world for what feels like forever.
Personally, I thinkWarcois a fantastic idea, both as a potential training tool, and as a piece of art/entertainment. I wonder if it could make any money though. Do you think a game aboutdocumentingthe horrors of war could ever financially compete in a gaming market flooded with popular titles about activelycreatingthose same horrors?
Video game to aid war journalists[BBC.co.uk]
