14 DAY TRIAL // Video games tend to be seen mostly as escapism, as a way for players to separate themselves from the real world and enter a fantasy world that has a new set of rules, but UNICEF now sees the medium as a good way to promote the very real and devastating problems that are affecting the children of South Sudan, who are not receiving the aid they need and are living some harrowing experiences.
The organization aims to appeal to a younger group of potential volunteers and donors with its new initiative.
The video is well put together and manages to show how easy it is for an audience to become concerned when a video game situation turns out to be real.
UNICEF states, “We sent an actor, a film crew and two South Sudanese youth to a major video game convention in Washington, D.C., and we were given a keynote address slot to pitch an exciting new video game to an audience of gaming enthusiasts.”
All the reactions shown are real and the organization hopes that gamers and other youngsters will try to find ways to help in the near future.
UNICEF makes it clear that it is not attacking the video game community and is only trying to show the real issues they are unaware of.
South Sudan has managed to win its independence very recently, but the stability that should have accompanied it never materialized.
Instead, two factions are at the moment fighting for control and power, and there are both security issues and food crisis that are affecting most of the children living in the country.
This War of Mine might be a great platform for UNICEF expression
Recently, 11 bit Studios has launched a video game called This War of Mine, which allows players to control survivors who are trying to simply live from day to day in a city that is under siege.
The mechanics and the stories included have depth and the experience manages to deliver interesting situations to explore, while also making it clear how horrible the conflict is for civilians.
The title manages to convey the challenges that such a situation creates, but it does not feature any children.
UNICEF and the development team could probably work together to create an actual video game experience which shows the problems of South Sudanese children, as it could have a bigger impact on the gamer community than a simple video.
