http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/

Check this out. The project is called "World Without Oil" and is being presented by ITVS Interactive (Independent Television Service), and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The game is a realistic, collaborative "serious game for the public good" that will put its players inside a mock oil shock starting on April 30th and running through May. "We're aiming to harness the power of collective intelligence to start brainstorming ways to live without relying on oil".

It will be simple to play: after game-start on April 30, check the
website, www.worldwithoutoil.org, to see the broad developments in the
crisis. Take a moment to seriously imagine how these developments would impact you. Then tell us your story - as if the crisis were real. You can send us an email, a link to your blog post, or call our 800-number and leave a message. Our more involved players will be creating videos, images, or special "in game" pages on their websites (a great way to promote your site!). Each story is a bit more evidence that this issue is very real. We're encouraging everyone to "Play it -- before you live it".

I'm very excited about the possible reach of this project. Think if
we get 50 people submitting blogs, videos, and whatnot. Then think of 500! We will actually be creating a rich, interactive, collaborative vision of the oil shock.

Some links to interesting ideas about WWO below. It's being heralded as the first game to call for imaginative collaboration to solve a very real poblem. I'm happy to answer your questions. Hope you can join us!

"Play it -- before you live it".

Related Links:

A recent article about the game:
http://www.pitchfor kmedia.com/ article/feature/ 42232-column- get-that- out-of-your- mouth-34

We're aiming to open the door for the world's collective intelligence to
shape the future through serious collaborative play.
http://news. com.com/Provocat ive+politics+ in+virtual+ games/2100- 1043_3-6171089. html

We see this as opening a return to democracy, a way for people to leave
partisanship behind.
http://www.futureof thebook.org/ blog/archives/ 2007/03/world_ without_oil_ the_democrat. html

At game's end, we will create a rich interactive archive for students, researchers, policymakers and the public at large. Currently, we have a guide to help middle and high school teachers guide gameplay in the classroom:
http://www.worldwit houtoil.org/ teach/

"If you want to shape the future, play with it first."
http://www.henryjen kins.org/ 2007/04/big_ games_with_ big_goals. html

About alternate reality games:
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Alternate_ reality_game
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