14 DAY TRIAL // The senior adviser for digital media working for the President of the United States says that he is interested in the way gaming affects modern society and is trying to get people to play a weekly session of Civilization V inside the White House.
Mark DeLoura, the current occupant of the position, is quoted by Firaxis on its official Facebook page as saying that the number of gamers inside the presidential support staff is not too big but significant enough to power a weekly multiplayer game.
The senior adviser himself has previously worked for companies like Sony, Nintendo, Google and more and describes himself as a solid gamer.
He states, “Some people do play games in the White House. I’m trying to find those people and collect them, Pokémon-style.”
DeLoura says that he sees many staffers who are playing mobile titles and wants to convince them that more serious games can deliver more fun, explaining that while trying to set up the Civilization session, “I point out that they are playing Candy Crush.”
The Obama administration has had an ambivalent position regarding video games, with the candidate himself at times urging parents to limit time spent with virtual experiences to create more opportunities for kids to learn.
But DeLoura believes that the President is mostly interested in making sure that games, especially those played by daughters Malia and Sasha, have an education value and deliver some sort of skill that can be used in real life.
The President has also asked Joe Biden to head up a task force that examines how violent titles can influence behavior that led to shooting incidents in schools.
The digital media adviser believes that only a small number of studies show aggression being enhanced by violent experiences and says that more research is required.
DeLoura’s list of favorite educational games includes: DragonBox, Reach for the Sun and Minecraft.