The Videogames as Tecnopolitical Device. The case study of “Games Of The Commons (Goods)”.

Abstract

The article illustrates the project "Games Of The Commons (Goods)" as a case study in order to introduce the research hypothesis that investigates video games as technopolitical devices. According to this research video games are presented as communication tools to foster political participation, with emphasis on the use of open data as means of video game creation. Furthermore, the theoretical foundations of the project are presented and the academic debate around the topics of open data, data games and technopolitics is exposed. The general layout of the project is displayed highlighting the creation of an A.P.I service to get easier access to some of the open data sets from Barcelona City Council website for their later use in video game development. The four video games created under the project as prototypes are also presented, the methodology of creation and validation are expounded and the research results are framed into the conception of the video game as a communication tool for the social transformation around the topic of housing. As conclusions, the author proposes a discussion around the topics of the project stressing the characteristics of video game understood as technopolitical device pointing to the conceptualization of it as digital commons good. The author also underlines the need for further investigations to validate results in other urban contexts and to examine their impact on the political communication for the social change.