How we can change the world with games

Chris Crawford has been developing computer games since the 1980s – among others with ecological themes. How important is the topic for him nowadays and what has changed since back then? How should games be designed today to be ecologically effective?

Chris Crawford is an American computer game developer and author. He was one of the best-known game developers in the 1980s and an early proponent of computer games as an art form. In 1987, he founded the »Computer Game Developers Conference» – now the »Game Developers Conference« – one of the world's most important professional conferences for the computer game industry. In addition to works such as  »Eastern Front (1941)« and »Balance of Power«, he also designed and programmed the game »Balance of the Planet«, which is exhibited in the section »Eco Games« in the exhibition »zkm_gameplay. the next level«

Dominik Rinnhofer – curator of the section »Eco Games« – poses the following questions for discussion:

• What drove Chris Crawford to develop Eco Games like »Balance of the Planet«?
• How can games be used to communicate complex issues?
• How should Eco Games be designed today to be effective? 
• What has changed in the last 40 years in terms of computer games and ecology?

Production
ZKM | Videostudio

Host: Dominik Rinnhofer
Editorial: Dominik Rinnhofer, Laura Schmidt, Jenny Starick, Margit Rosen

Recording: Tim Wenz
Editing: Xenia Leidig, Andy Koch