The State Department will send up to $200,000 to Malaysia to develop games for social change, according to a recent grant notice.
The funds will go to create a workshop for “designing games that drive social change, to be held in Malaysia (Penang or Kuala Lumpur).”
The workshop will introduce young game developers to the concept of designing games for social change.
It hopes to teach them technical and narrative skill sets “to design compelling interactive experiences … to help them to better advocate for their causes and tell their story.”
The workshop should bring 60-70 students and professionals together for a four-day program, including a two-day workshop taught by American and local professionals, and a two-game “game jam” where students can collaborate with others on their game idea. The workshop will end with a final pitch and select games will be funded so they can be developed.
Potential topics of these games can include climate change, human trafficking, disinformation, civic engagement, and diversity and inclusion.
The State Department chose this region to host this workshop because of its “burgeoning gaming industry,” as well as its 126 million gamers who they hope to reach with these interactive games.
This project means hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars will be flowing out of America in an effort to fix other countries, while Americans have yet to find answers to issues like climate change, disinformation, and civic engagement at home.
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