ICED, The Game
[Guest post by DRJ]
Here’s something new:
“A human rights organization today unveiled a new video game called “ICED!,” which stands for “I Can End Deportation.” The game is free for download at www.icedgame.com. The creators of ICED! said it is “designed to spark dialogue and create awareness of unfair U.S. immigration policies.”
In the videogame, players can choose from five characters — including an undocumented immigrant and lawful permanent resident. The ultimate goal is to become a U.S. citizen. The players make moral choices, like whether to hop a subway turnstile or shoplift. The characters are pursued by immigration officials, who try to detain and deport them. Players earn points to help avoid deportation by doing positive things.
The game was created by Breakthrough, a New York-based human rights organization, along with community organizations and high school teachers and students.”
There’s an update at the link with a description of how the game works but the initial commenters were not impressed. Here’s my favorite:
“That’s awesome. Maybe next, the game makers can make a game to help Drug Dealers avoid stings. Or how Prostitutes and Pimps can avoid being ripped off or busted by the cops.
Oooh, then they could make one to teach Registered Sex Offenders how to get around those horribly restrictive and oppressive sex register lists.”
— DRJ
The creators and distributors of this “Game” ought to be arrested as accomplices to breaking various state and federal laws.
PCD (c378fd) — 2/18/2008 @ 10:25 amDon’t you think that’d be a little bit of a free speech violation?
Patterico (83b0b4) — 2/18/2008 @ 11:01 amPatterico, I put this “game” in the same catagory as falsely yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theatre or in promoting the rap “song”, “The Ultimate Drive By”, not “speech” that should be protected.
PCD (c378fd) — 2/18/2008 @ 11:03 amFrom a PR standpoint, it seems like this hurts immigration supporters more than it helps.
DRJ (8b9d41) — 2/18/2008 @ 11:23 am“Patterico, I put this “game” in the same catagory as falsely yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theatre or in promoting the rap “song”, “The Ultimate Drive By”, not “speech” that should be protected.”
Too bad you don’t get to decide.
stef (9ae93b) — 2/18/2008 @ 12:22 pmThe extra step would involve looking at who the game’s authors “supporters” are:
breakthrough.tv/aboutus_detail.asp?subsubid=13&id=8
They include the FordFoundation and GeorgeSoros’ OSI.
I’d also suggest looking into how the MSM has promoted their efforts.
TLB (4e2083) — 2/18/2008 @ 1:16 pmMaybe next, the game makers can make a game to help Drug Dealers avoid stings. Or how Prostitutes and Pimps can avoid being ripped off or busted by the cops.
Sorry, both those ideas have already been taken multiple times — see, the Grand Theft Auto series and its multiple copycat games. This game is at least a somewhat original idea for the same old have-fun-breaking-laws-in-the-virtual-world idea.
At any rate, these objections to the game are just more of the same old anti-free-market, protectionist, xenophobic crap from people who pretend to be conservative: “If you break the laws we put in place to deny you the right to economic success, then you’re a criminal!”
Really like the attempt to compare illegal aliens to sex offenders, though — let’s just jump right to hanging them, why don’t we? At some point, the parallels between the anti-illegal-imigration gang and the old pro-segrigation folks really become apparent, don’t they?
Phil (6d9f2f) — 2/18/2008 @ 1:19 pmI don’t know anyone who is pro-segregation, Phil, although I’ve seen this report that some predominantly black colleges are upset states won’t do more to protect their turf. Is that the kind of parallel you were referring to in your comment 7?
DRJ (3eda28) — 2/18/2008 @ 1:27 pmIt would be great if you could play the cops and get to chase down those illegal criminals, many who are criminals in other areas as well.
xray (8cfb7a) — 2/18/2008 @ 1:47 pmPhil: we already admit more than enough legal immigrants to recognize “xenophobic” for the flailing smear it is.
As for the “free market”, illegal immigration is quite the opposite, relying as it does on what boils down to bribery.
TLB (698f21) — 2/18/2008 @ 2:57 pmPhil is one of those people that has this awful image in his head that “represents” people in the real world he doesn’t like.
And he’ll be damned if he’s going to let what those people actually do get in the way of his image of them!
If it wasn’t so tediously repetitive, it would be funny.
Merovign (4744a2) — 2/18/2008 @ 3:02 pmMore liberal propeganda from the left-wing scum as bad as the evil UN and IANSA and its antigun propeganda peice ARMED TO THE TEETH ICED SHOULD GET ICED
krazy kagu (a97175) — 2/18/2008 @ 5:16 pmHere’s an assignment: find out why there’s renewed interest in this game, considering that their press section shows the LAT mentioned it last Summer. Did they send out a new round of press releases, or did something else prompt it? Follow that back as close to the source as possible, and list those who’ve lately promoted it.
TLB (4e2083) — 2/18/2008 @ 7:53 pmIt upsets me that people are quick to judge negatively……
Lucy (7286a8) — 2/19/2008 @ 12:04 amThe game mind you is to EDUCATE and Prevent Prejudice and perhaps reach your HEART.
Lucy, How many Illegals do you FEED, SUPPORT, and HOUSE in your home without external financial support?
PCD (c378fd) — 2/19/2008 @ 5:31 ami think the invetion of the game iced is very koo i think that people should take a look at it .
C ii n D ee (948787) — 2/19/2008 @ 5:30 pmi have a question for what usually is it?
weel gotta go !!!
=]]
Take time to download and play this game
Iced Video Game (174689) — 2/22/2008 @ 4:23 ami lost my job because it was cheaper to produce the product in mexico. and as much as i try to care for all people . we have enough in our country sucking up welfare ,social security and all that. i’m a single parent who could use some financial help. i work 40 – 60 hrs a week. and sometimes more . just to get by. while i see people that are not in this country legally getting the support that i could use to give my kids a decent life. and it pisses me off. but all in all, IT’S JUST A GAME. JUST LIKE LIFE !
some one who lost jod to mexico (4b0db2) — 2/27/2008 @ 7:06 pmeu quero este jogo
jose edygleysom batista lopes (3ecef3) — 2/28/2008 @ 7:31 pmFor the record, keeping poor mexicans in Mexico will NOT keep your jobs from moving to Mexico. A less porous border just makes Mexico even more attractive to multinational corporations, by enlarging the pool of cheap labor stuck stuck in Mexico, ready to work for peanuts.
Phil (6d9f2f) — 2/28/2008 @ 7:36 pmHi,
Definitely take out the time to play the game. This is exactly why we made the game– we want people to take a look at the way they talk about immigration in the United States. It’s not about pointing fingers at one group– it’s a human rights issue and a due process issue for all— all immigrants, all ethnicities, all of different status, like our characters: legal permanent residents, asylum seekers, undocumented people and students.
Take the time to play.
Thanks,
-Breakthrough
Breakthrough (676474) — 3/3/2008 @ 1:36 pmhttp://www.icedgame.com
Two months later, the game is getting noticed.
DRJ (a431ca) — 4/21/2008 @ 3:16 pm