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[Dacke]

It makes perfect sense to research things first, before giving your support. But I am hopeful that a majority of people will find that the actions of Wikileaks are just and good.

I would advise against focusing too much on Julian Assange. It could turn out that he has been framed. But it could just as well turn out that he actually is a sexual offender. We simply can't know yet, and it doesn't really matter. The actions of Wikileaks are good (or bad) independently of the personal life of Assange.

Also, if people have ideas for games: please post them! Even if you can't execute the idea yourself, there are plenty of people here looking for inspiration.

[Perrin]

I don't have time to make anything for this sadly. Also while the issue interests me greatly nothing comes to mind in terms of game ideas. Like Increpare I was more interested in what you could do with the war diaries data they posted a while back.

However I am very disappointed to see people advising against making games that associate with political organisations or figures. Whatever side of the argument you take I don't think people should avoid making games about anything they're interested in tackling as a topic.

I for one think Turbo Brother's "Where In the World Is Julian Assange?" could be pretty good satire of current affairs.

[Noyb]

Also, if people have ideas for games: please post them! Even if you can't execute the idea yourself, there are plenty of people here looking for inspiration.

Not planning on making anything myself, but here's a few ideas.

Operation: Pedopriest, but for this story unveiled by Wikileaks about a Texas company delivering young boys to Afghan police for unsavory purposes.

Might be fun to see a game around the concept of collecting DNA samples from foreign agents. Maybe in the style of an arcade game, where DNA is a collectible. Or an adventure game where the puzzle is to get DNA from a specific target by any means, scored by quality/quantity.

A metaphorical tower defense game about The Streisand Effect. Waves of enemies can only attack one site at a time, but the player can easily expend time/resources to build new copies in other locations.

[simono]

I thought about doing a game in the style of the gunship/helicopter attack videos we've seen



(DANGER disturbing video)

It should be pretty easy to imitate that style with a simple 2d engine (faking the 2d) maybe mixed with some voxels for the explosions.

[Dacke]

However I am very disappointed to see people advising against making games that associate with political organisations or figures.

If that was directed at me, I guess I have to rephrase. I meant that:

If you want to support Wikileaks and their cause, it is probably a bad idea to focus too much on Assange.

But if you just generally want to explore some topic related to Assange, feel free to do so!

[Jonas Kyratzes]

I don't have time to make anything for this sadly. Also while the issue interests me greatly nothing comes to mind in terms of game ideas. Like Increpare I was more interested in what you could do with the war diaries data they posted a while back.

Why not do that, then? I think it would still fit perfectly well into the basic outline of the project - making games about Wikileaks. The war diaries haven't been discussed enough, and I'd love to see what you came up with. I'm sure the grand Gnome would agree with me.

If you want to support Wikileaks and their cause, it is probably a bad idea to focus too much on Assange.

I think it's perfectly legit to focus on Assange and what's being done to him (even if he were an actual rapist, the Swedish prosecutor is acting very unprofessionally, as Swedish law experts have pointed out). But I think it's good to remember that Assange is simply editor-in-chief of Wikileaks; the organization is much bigger than one man.

In other news, I was actually interviewed by a German journalist today; he's writing an article about "newsgames" and was interested in this project. I think the notion of Wikileaks games really appeals to people - perhaps because it's a way of looking at the data from a different perspective.

[Jonas Kyratzes]

Wikileaks Stories in the media:

• Kotaku
• GameSetWatch
• AolNews
• Technolog.MSNBC.com
• Computerspiele.com (German)
• ifwizz interactive fiction (German)
• Spiele.T-online.de (German)

I think this project can also showcase the potential of indie games to be an interesting, challenging part of the political and cultural discourse (or an attack on the vapidity thereof).

[Soulliard]

However I am very disappointed to see people advising against making games that associate with political organisations or figures. Whatever side of the argument you take I don't think people should avoid making games about anything they're interested in tackling as a topic.

If you understand the issues at stake with Wikileaks, and you support their positions, then more power to you. Go ahead and make the game.

But if you were just interested in making the game as a lark, without considering the organization's goals, then I would think about it some more. That was the point I was trying to make.

[Kuppo]

I actually had an idea for a game about abstractly fighting against state censorship.
I guess now I have to actually make it.

[Quicksand-T]

Before anyone participates in this, be sure to research Wikileaks and make sure it is the type of organization you want to associate yourself with. It is a political organization with an anarchic slant. It's not just a cute theme to base a game around.

Wikileaks is indiscriminate about the information it publishes. Their recent release of classified American diplomatic documents could put people at risk and upset relations between countries (which could have far-reaching effects on those countries' citizens).

Just think about it before you dive right into this game-making event.

It would be just as interesting to see an anti-Wikileaks game as a pro-Wikileaks game, in my opinion.

[iffi]

Before anyone participates in this, be sure to research Wikileaks and make sure it is the type of organization you want to associate yourself with. It is a political organization with an anarchic slant. It's not just a cute theme to base a game around.

Wikileaks is indiscriminate about the information it publishes. Their recent release of classified American diplomatic documents could put people at risk and upset relations between countries (which could have far-reaching effects on those countries' citizens).

Just think about it before you dive right into this game-making event.

It would be just as interesting to see an anti-Wikileaks game as a pro-Wikileaks game, in my opinion.

I'd actually rather see an anti-Wikileaks game than a pro-Wikileaks one. That's what I was originally thinking of when I read about making games about Wikileaks.

[increpare]

I'd actually rather see an anti-Wikileaks game than a pro-Wikileaks one. That's what I was originally thinking of when I read about making games about Wikileaks.

I suggest you go make one, then.

[s0]

Or a joke game with Wikileaks as a theme, which is what I'll probably make.

Is there a deadline of some sort. My schedule is currently too clogged up with studies to do any substantial game dev, but I might find some time after Christmas.

[Jonas Kyratzes]

Is there a deadline of some sort. My schedule is currently too clogged up with studies to do any substantial game dev, but I might find some time after Christmas.

To quote Gnome's Lair:

Important note: WikiLeaks Stories is not a compo. There is no deadline. Whenever you decide to actually start and/or publish your game will be fine, as these stories will be equally important in a year or a decade from now. The battle for online free speech and against corporate/state censorship will -surely- also remain more than crucial.

What's more, WikiLeaks Stories is once again proving that the game community is interested in such political matters and that gaming is not something that ignores society/life/universe/fish.

Oh, and:

I'd actually rather see an anti-Wikileaks game than a pro-Wikileaks one. That's what I was originally thinking of when I read about making games about Wikileaks.

While I personally think that's sad, I also believe it is your right to make such games. We don't believe in freedom of speech if we don't believe in it for the people we disagree with. Wikileaks Stories is, of course, not the framework for an anti-Wikileaks game, but if you want to make such a game, go ahead.

[moi]

Or a troll game about assange setting up the whole wikilieak business in order to avoid getting jailed for sexual assault.
Or another troll game to really piss off the "never 4get" and  "why do you hate freedumb" crowd but I've got no idea right now.

[Jonas Kyratzes]

I think joke games are fine, but there's more to this project than quickly whipping up some Wikileaks-themed thingy just to get attention. Whether your game is humorous (screw the people who say humour is not an important artistic tool) or more on the sombre side, there's a lot that can be achieved with this material, and I'd really like to see the various approaches that the indie community can bring to this.

If you're not interested or think Wikileaks is the incarnation of the Devil, that's your right. But those of you who believe in what Wikileaks stands for, and are interested in participating, please do consider giving this some of your time.

[Quicksand-T]

If you're not interested or think Wikileaks is the incarnation of the Devil, that's your right. But those of you who believe in what Wikileaks stands for, and are interested in participating, please do consider giving this some of your time.

I know its influencing both of the games I'm working on now.

Really there should be more political games in general. And I don't mean political in a shallow right/left dichotomy way. There is something bigger going on here; Wikileaks, Adbusters, Anonymous and even the Pirate Bay are the infancy of a new movement in Western politics. The battle is no longer about traditional wedge issues, its no longer about which politicians we elect. Its about who controls the flow of information, its about the internet generation vs. the old powers and the status-quo. The institutions of Western society (our churches, banks, schools, communities, and governments) have lost our trust, perhaps our only hope lies in the anarchy that a free internet represents.

I'm thinking of creating a contest in the New Year for "Transgressive Games". Games that are raw, subversive, ugly, irreverent. As J.G Ballard said "I want to rub the human face in its own vomit and force it to look in the mirror."

Anyone else interested in a contest/collective around that theme?

[deathtotheweird]

Anyone else interested in a contest/collective around that theme?

yes

[Okenido]

It would be fascinating, the idea has my support.

[increpare]

Sure