Sweden is a country known for its progressive methods of public engagement, especially through social media and online mediums. Recently, Sweden has added yet another public diplomacy method that captures its commitment to democracy and civic interaction. Democreativity is an initiative to create a video game based on ideas contributed by game developers and amateurs from all over the world. The goal of this initiative is to create "the most unlikely game ever made." Democreativity is sponsored by the Swedish government, which is an entirely new type of interplay between government and gaming. In addition to the Swedish government, other sponsors of the project include VisitSweden, the Swedish Institute, and Business Sweden, which all promote Sweden's interests and values abroad.
Democreativity had a four week open period for people to
enter their ideas and vote on what they would like to see in a video game. Over
these four weeks, there were five hundred submissions made from 126 countries.
From the voting results, the government and sponsors report that the voters
wanted to see a video game with no winners or losers. Instead, voters wanted a
game that encouraged alliances, collaboration, and exploring. Other suggestions
included games in which one wins by helping others win, or games that "turn
haters into lovers." The results also showed a shift in voters' desires
for types of characters. Instead of having male or female protagonists, about
16% of voters wanted characters that were inanimate objects or indefinable
characters. Voters also suggested that the game environments be a combination
of fantasy and reality, preferring an environment that is somewhat realistic
but is not related to anyone's tangible reality. Clearly, the international
gaming community is beginning to reach outside its comfort zone and push for
more equalizing and harmonious video games, which plays into Sweden's
progressive social policies.
Democreativity joins Sweden's newest set of games, namely
Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft, and is leading the gaming community into the
future while still promoting its values and ideals. Ellinor Irving, the
spokesperson for Democreativity stated that “In the beginning [Democreativity]
was a way of showing Sweden’s long history of this kind of democracy, and a way
of applying that to gaming context.” This project is a useful PD tool, as it
allows international collaboration while still utilizing democratic principles.
Gamers and voters exposed to this competition stand a chance of walking away
with a working knowledge of democratic principles, or at least, being exposed
to how democracy can be exercised. Democreativity's website describes the
project's goal as "focus[ing] on different creative expressions and helps
give a voice to all ideas, just as democracy gives a voice to all people."
The project carefully exposes gamers and voters to democratic practices while
still presenting a non-threatening and fun project for the world to take part
in.
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