Decrease Voter Apathy and Win.com

I intend to create a game that will utilize 7 web 2.0 tools to draw young people age 18 – 25 to the polls this following November. The game will be entitled ‘Fight voter apathy and win.com. The web 2.0 applications that I will use are facebook, youtube, the game, an RSS feed, meetup.com, Skype and direct e-mail.

The Game: Fight Voter Apathy and Win

            There will be 3 games. One will take on the form of a virtual reality such as Second Life with the players assuming the roles of the candidates themselves. Players will become candidates such as Hilary Clinton, Barrack Obama or Rudy Giuliani and stand at the podium to debate each other. These podiums will be regional. Second life users will metro to D.C. and drive pass cornfields to the Iowa caucuses. Points will be scored on the accuracy of having mimicked recent events as close to reality as possible.

            Visual effects will include the ability to physically throw mud at another candidate when disagreement on an issue peaks. Upon slinging mud, gamers will be referred to a website such as that of Obama’s, where he chronicles every attack that Hilary has lodged against him along with a counter argument.

            Another game will be in the form of a digitalized version of the childhood classic Guess Who. This Game will be entitled ‘Guess who stands where.’ and will be interactive amongst users. The guesser will ask a question such as “what state does your candidate work in”, or how did your candidate vote on the Iraq war.”  There will be different levels available according to the players knowledge and skill, as well as how many points they have amassed.

            The beginning level will include questions such as what is the candidate’s stance on troop withdrawal from Iraq. The intermediate level may pose questions such as ‘what is the difference between Obama and Clinton’s plan for health care. The advanced level may pose questions regarding what countries the candidate will attempt to increase diplomatic relations with and by what means.  The last question may be “what candidates are the most likely to be aware of this game.”

            The truly advanced players will be challenged by interpretive events. For example when faced with the question as to why Karl Rove has made suggestions to Barack Obama on to how to beat Hilary Clinton, the gamer will have to write out their answer. One may respond that Rove wanted to weaken Obama by associating his name with that of Rove. Someone else may suggest that Rove pulled this one out of his sleeve because he feels that the Republicans can beat Hilary.  Gamers can go on Skype to discuss their different viewpoints and interpretation of events.  Players who seek to utilize the most interactive web tools to discuss the presidential elections can do so by using meet up.com.

            In the game there will be the primary presidential candidates such as Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul and John Edwards.  The player will have to match an issue and the correct answer to the candidate. Right or wrong a youtube clip will pop up displaying an online debate between the candidates showing where they stand on what issue.

The issues that will be covered in the game are as follows:

1. Health care

2. Homeland security

3. Immigration

4. Iraq

5. Iran

6. Pakistan

7. Alterative energy

8. Gay marriage

9. Lobbyists

10. Gun control

11. Social security.

Competitors and Allies

            My allies would be facebook, youtube Second Life, Skype and The New York Times online coverage. My competitors are my space and persuasive games.  The main competitor of facebook is my space. Facebook has greater potential to recruit game players because facebook is geared towards students.  My space users don’t need a student email account to join.  Many my space users are not even old enough to vote.  Most importantly my space does not offer the interactive gaming tools made possible on Facebook.

            The persuasive games that have focused on the presidential campaign are sparse competition for decrease voter apathy and win.com. The persuasive game is not difficult to overshadow because they are very simplistic and lacks any informative detail. The Persuasive game simply shows a cartoonized image of the presidential candidates with the only action being the exchange of a ping-pong ball.

            After the gamer has matched a presidential candidate’s stance on an issue, an article will scroll down to inform the player as to the right or wrong answer. Leading authorities on the presidential candidates are C-span, the BBC and the New York Times Web election 2008 web page. To keep up to date with the latest information, these sites will be regularly channeled to my game via an RSS feed.  The New York Time’s would be an ally. I would use their election 2008 site as reference to quotes on the various issues put forth by presidential candidates

            Players will be asked to match the quote with the candidate.  The New York Times website presents information into a columnized section listing the presidential candidates by name and face, the current issues and the candidates stances.  Readers can go to a column such as Immigration and read all the quotes from each candidate as to what their position is and why.

Facebook 

            Now is where the competition comes in. The game will be accessed as a facebook application available to group members. There will be new questions depending on a gamer’s status and level in the game now. Upon signing in to Facebook, players will be informed as to who has the highest score and who has just stepped down a notch.

Direct Email 

            Direct e-mails will be sent to a user once they have been beat. The e-mail will serve to inform them as to who now has a higher score and on what issue. The winner will also have the option to add a message as to the gaps in the loser’s knowledge with comments and suggestions on how to stay informed.

            At the end of every month the standing winner will win a trip to meet with the candidate.  The winner will also be allowed to host the next interactive youtube debate between candidates. This will be done by region. Upon becoming a part of this facebook group, gamers will be able to meet other gamers in their district through meetup.com.

            The visual aspect of Decrease Voter Apathy and win will depict the facebook picture of the reigning champion’s face on top of a ladder. There will be two ladders; one red one blue depending on which party the player is the most up to date with. Players will also have the option of an open discussion forum in the form of an interactive blogosphere to debate the validity of news stories, exchange online news articles and take sides.     

         Decrease voter apathy and win.com will draw young people to get involved in ways not possible in 2004 or any elections past.