One of the first things that popped into my head during the recent Gaza massacre was September 12. The footage they showed on TV from the point of view of Israeli F16 fighters was eerily similar to the graphics in September 12.
September 12 is a simple flash/shockwave animation computer game. It can be played in your browser if you have the right plug-in for it. In gaming circles and game education, it is usually classified as “news game”, just like the Bush Shoe Throwing Game since it’s centered around a news event. But then again, the game clearly says in its opening screen “This is not a game.”
The apparent object here is simple: kill terrorists. You are given a picture of what they look like versus what civilians look like. It’s easy to tell them apart in the game.
September 12 was created several years ago by Powerful Robot games, run by the Uruguay-based game designer Gonzalo Frasca. I didn’t want to trivialize the real-world tragedy by putting up a video game during the actual Gaza bombings. But now, I have put the game here and you can play it. Write about your reaction. It requires a browser plug in so I apologize in advance if you can’t play it.
