All reading materials: International Relations 1. InternationalRelations_ReadMe (Requirements of Assignment) 2. Everyone Reads 1) A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolutio

B y N ic o le B aile y S ta ff W rit e r Ja n ua ry 2 0, 2 015 A ca dem ic s, p undit s , a nd o th er c o m menta to rs a ckn ow le dge th e im porta n ce (h ttp ://w ww.w ash in gto npost.c o m /b lo gs/w orld vie w s/w p/2 014/1 1 /2 1/t h is - w ar-v id eo -g am e-is -n ot-a b out-th e-s h oote rs -it s -a b out-th e- vic tim s/) o f v id e ogam es in vo lv in g c o nte m pora ry w ar. T he U .S . m ilit a ry h as u se d ( h ttp ://w w w.e -ir .in fo /2 014/1 1 /2 6/w ar-in -v id eo - g am es-b etw een -r e alit y -a n d-e n te rta in m en t/) v id eog am es to r e cru it a nd p ro m ote w ar e ff o rts . M any a rg ue w heth er v io le nt fir s t p ers o n s h oote r (F P S) a nd fir s t p ers o n m ilit a ry s h oote r (F P M S) gam es a re g ood o r b ad fo r s o cie ty . D esp it e th is d is co urs e , fe w h ave o bse rv e d th e p ote ntia l fo r v id eogam es to a ff e ct p la ye rs ’ u nd ers ta ndin gs o f m odern in te rn atio nal a ff a ir s .

A lt h ough v id e ogam es th at c a n im pro ve o ne’s u nders ta ndin g o f in te rn a tio na l a ff a ir s o fte n in clu de s o m e v io le n t c o nflic t, th ey a re d is tin ct fr o m m ilit a ry -b ase d g am es. T hese a lt e rn ativ e s to F P M S gam es d o n o t re quir e p la ye rs to fig ht o r e xe cu te m is sio ns in th e a bse n ce o f s tr a te gic p olit ic a l a lt e rn ativ e s s u ch a s a d ip lo m atic s o lu tio n, e co nom ic s a nctio ns, o r e ve n s u rre n der. T he m ost e la bora te g am es d eali n g w it h in te rn atio nal re la tio ns h a ve in fin it e o utc o m es, in clu d in g th e a vo id ance o f w ar e ntir e ly , b eca use th e p la ye rs a re a llo w ed to e ngage in c o m ple te ly le git im ate , o pen-e nded s id e n eg otia tio ns. A lt h ough th e g am es o bvio usly h ave s o m e p re defin ed ru le s a nd b oundarie s, p la ye rs c a n in ve nt a ny s o lu tio ns a nd im ple m ent a ny m utu ally a gre eable a rra ngem ents th ey w is h , s u ch a s fo rg in g a n a llia nce th at o ve rrid es th e o ne-p la ye r-w in s d efa ult s ce na rio .

C iv iliz a tio n ( h ttp ://w w w.c iv iliz a tio n.c o m /) (C iv ) is a v id eog am e th at c a n fa cilit a te le arn in g a bout in te rn atio nal a ff a ir s . D r. K im berly W eir a nd D r. M ic h ael B ara now ski u se C iv to te ach a D ip lo m acy a nd N egotia tio n in tr o ducto ry c o urs e a t N orth ern K entu cky U niv e rs it y . T he tw o p ro fe ss o rs w rit e ( h ttp ://s ag .s ag ep ub.c o m /c o nte n t/4 2/4 /4 41.a b str a ct) , “A s pla ye rs m ana ge re so urc e s to d eve lo p th eir c iv iliz a tio ns, e sta blis h d ip lo m atic re la tio ns w it h o th er c iv iliz a tio ns, s tr e ngth en tr a de re la tio ns, a nd e ngage in m ilit a ry a nd p eace a llia nce s, th ey b eco m e im mers e d in a s im ula te d in te rn atio nal s yste m .” T O PIC STO PIC S R EG IO N SREG IO N S TH E J O U RN ALTH E J O U RN AL N EW SL E TTE RN EW SL E TTE R A R CH IV EAR CH IV E ABO U T U SABO U T U S ( H TTP :/ / W WW.I A R -G W U.O RG /N OD E/2 ) ( H TTP :/ / W WW.I A R -G W U.O RG /N OD E/2 ) 5/3/2018 Using Videogames to T each International Relations | International Af fairs Review http://www.iar-gwu.org/content/using-videogames-teach-international-relations 2/3 One o f th e b enefit s o f g am es lik e C iv is th e a bilit y to m od, o r m odif y , th e g am e to fit m any d if f e re nt p urp ose s. F or e xa m ple , D r.

E dw ard W ebb o f D ic kin so n C olle ge m odif ie d C iv to h elp te ach a c o u rs e ( h ttp ://m cp re ss.m ed ia - c o m mons.o rg /g am esin ed ucatio n/le arn in g-to geth er-w it h - g am es-c iv iliz a tio n-a n d-e m pir e /) o n th e s u bje ct o f e m pir e s in h is to ry , fo cu sin g o n th e E uro pean c o nquest o f M eso pota m ia . D r.

W ebb w as a ble to ta ilo r a sp ects o f th e g am e to fit w it h h is p la nned cu rric u lu m . A lt h ough m odif y in g g am es c a n b e e xp ensiv e , tim e- co n su m in g, a nd re quir e te ch nic a l e xp ertis e , th e la rg est g am in g co m m unit ie s s u pport a nd s h are m odif ic a tio n p ra ctic e s o nlin e.

M ore ove r, th is m eth od is u su ally le ss e xp ensiv e th an d eve lo pin g a v id eog am e fr o m s cra tc h .

P ap ers , P le ase ( h ttp ://p ap ers p le a.s e/) is a no th er v id eogam e w it h in te rn a tio na l a ff a ir s le arn in g im plic a tio ns. U nlik e C iv , P apers , P le ase is a n in die g am e, m eanin g it w as n ot p ro duce d b y o r a ff ilia te d w it h a m ajo r c o m pa ny. T he s in gle p la ye r a ssu m es th e ro le o f a n im mig ra tio n o ff ic e r in a S ovie t- s ty le fic tio nal c o untr y . A lt h ough vir tu ally a ll o f th e g am epla y o ccu rs fr o m b ehin d th e im mig ra tio n d esk, th e p la ye r m ust m ake to ugh c h oic e s. T he m ain c h ara cte r d eals w it h u ndocu m ente d im mig ra nts , te rro ris ts , s p ie s, h um an tr a ff ic ke rs , s m uggle rs , fo re ig n d ig nit a rie s, a nd a nti- g ove rn m ent o rg aniz a tio ns— all w hile liv in g in a re pre ssiv e s yste m w here h e m ig ht h ave to a cce pt b rib es to k e ep h is fa m ily fr o m s ta rv in g.

P apers , P le ase h ig hli g hts b o th th e im porta nce o f c o nsu la r w ork a nd th e u n ce rta in tie s a nd p olit ic a l c h alle nges u nderly in g it . In o ne sce na rio , th e p la ye r n eeds to d ecid e w heth er to a ppro ve o r d eny th e p assa ge o f a m an w ho is ru m ore d to in te nd to s e ll s e x s la ve s. B ein g a w are th at s it u atio ns a re n ebulo us a nd in vo lv e m any e m otio nal, m ora l, a nd p ers o nal fa cto rs , p la ye rs b ette r u n ders ta nd c o nte m pora ry d eb ate s in a re as lik e ille gal im mig ra tio n, b ord er s e cu rit y , c o u nte rte rro ris m , a nd h um an rig hts .

It is im porta nt to n ote th at th e a fo re m entio ned g am es w ere n ot d esig n ed to tr a in p ra ctit io ners o r a ca dem ic s. T heir p urp ose is e nte rta in m en t. T his o nly a dds to th eir v a lu e a s a m ediu m fo r h elp in g th e g e nera l p ublic g ain a b ette r u nders ta ndin g o f in te rn atio nal a ff a ir s .

A fte r a ll, s o m eone w ho d oes n ot te nd to s e ek o ut e duca tio nal re so urc e s c a n s till b enefit in te lle ctu ally fr o m g am es lik e C iv , e ve n if h e o r s h e o nly p urc h ase d it fo r re cre atio n. E nte rta in m ent v id eogam es ca n e duca te fa r b eyo nd th e b oundarie s o f th e “e duca tio nal vid eog am e” g enre ’s ta rg et a udie nce ( u su ally s ch o olc h ild re n ), e xp an din g th eir p ro fit a bilit y fo r d eve lo pers .

S om e c rit ic s a rg ue th at g am es d o n ot h ave a la stin g im pact o n p la ye rs ’ re a l liv e s. Y et, a s D r. K yle G ra yso n o f N ew ca stle U niv e rs it y p oin ts o ut ( h ttp ://w w w.e -ir .in fo /2 014/0 2/2 5/d ro nes -a n d-v id eo - g am es/) , th e re se arc h s h ow s o th erw is e : “V id eo g am es a re n ot n um bin g a gents g e are d to w ard s m in dle ss p urs u it s . A s T im oth y C ric k h as arg ue d, th ey a re im mers iv e , n ot ju st p sych olo gic a lly b ut a ls o p hysio lo gic a lly ...T hey c a n b rin g o th erw is e d is p e rs e d in div id uals to geth er b y e sta blis h in g a c o m m on g o al o r s e nse o f p urp ose . A s J o se P . Z ag al (h ttp ://f a csrv .c d m .d ep au l.e d u/~ jz a g al/P ap ers /Z ag al_ E th ic sin H eavyR ain .p df) h as s h ow n, th ey c a n p ro duce e th ic a l q uan darie s th at re q uir e c a re fu l d elib era tio n...If v id eo g am es w ere u na ble to g enera te a s e nse o f a tta ch m en t a nd m eanin gfu l c o nse quence s fo r p la ye rs w it h in th e w orld o f th e g am e, o r e ve n b eyo nd, fe w w ould p la y th em .” P ra ctit io ners s h ould re co gniz e th e m erit s o f re cre atio nal v id eogam es in th e in te rn a tio nal a ff a ir s fie ld . T he s u cce sse s o f g am es s u ch a s C iv s h o w h ow im pactfu l th ey c a n b e o n p la ye rs . A fte r a ll, a fte r th e “G am e O ve r” te xt fla sh es, th e c re dit s ro ll, a n d th e s cre ens p ow er d ow n, th e p la ye rs a re a ll th at re m ain .

N ic o le B aile y is a fir s t- y e ar s tu dent in th e G lo bal C om munic a tio n p ro gra m c o nce ntr a tin g in IT a nd M id dle E ast S tu die s a t th e E llio tt S ch ool o f In te rn atio nal A ffa ir s . S he g ra duate d fr o m th e U niv e rs it y o f V ir g in ia w it h a d egre e in P olit ic a l P hilo so phy, P olic y, a nd L aw . S he ca n b e re ach ed v ia T w it te r @ nsu neb aile y . 5/3/2018 Using Videogames to T each International Relations | International Af fairs Review http://www.iar-gwu.org/content/using-videogames-teach-international-relations 3/3 AB O UT U SAB O UT U S The In te rn atio nal A ff a ir s R evie w is a g ra duate s tu dent- ru n p ublic a tio n o f T he G eo rg e W ash in gto n U niv e rs it y 's E llio tt S ch ool o f In te rn atio na l A ff a ir s in W ash in gto n, D .C .

FO LLO W U S O N:FO LLO W U S O N: Fac eb ook Tw it te r S U BM IS S IO N G UID ELIN ESS U BM IS S IO N G UID ELIN ES The In te rn atio nal A ff a ir s R evie w is c u rre n tly a cce ptin g a rtic le s u b m is sio ns. S ubm is sio ns fo r th e w ebsit e a re a cce pte d o n a w eekly b asis w it h a d eadlin e o f 5 p .m .

Easte rn S ta ndard T im e e ach T hu rs d ay. S ubm is sio ns fo r th e prin t jo urn a l a re a cce pte d co n tin uously , w it h a rtic le s e le ctio n o cc u rr in g a t th e b egin nin g o f e ach s e m este r.

C lic k h ere fo r m ore in fo rm atio n (h ttp ://ia r-g w u.o rg /n ode/4 ) D IS C LA IM ERD IS C LA IM ER O pin io ns e xp re sse d in I n te rn atio na l A ff a ir s R evie w a re th ose o f th e a uth ors a nd d o n ot n ece ssa rily re fle ct th e v ie w s o f In te rn atio na l A ff a ir s R evie w , T he E llio tt S ch oo l o f In te rn atio nal A ff a ir s , T he G eorg e W ash in gto n U niv e rs it y , o r a ny o th er p ers o n o r o rg an iz a tio n fo rm ally a sso cia te d w it h In te rn atio nal A ff a ir s R evie w .

C lic k h ere fo r m ore in fo rm atio n (h ttp ://ia r-g w u.o rg /n ode/6 ) C O NTA C T U SCO NTA C T U S Ple ase fe el fr e e to c o nta ct o ur te am w it h a n y q uestio ns o r co n ce rn s.

E m ail: i a rw eb @ gw u.e d u The E llio tt S ch ool o f In te rn atio nal A ff a ir s G eorg e W ash in gto n U niv e rs it y 1 95 7 E S tr e e t, N W R oom 3 03-K W ash in gto n, D C 2 0052 D esig ned b y P au l H id alg o 4 S ha re