The issue of writing and re-writing history appears to have always been a point of interest. On one hand, there is a saying that we must learn from our past as not to repeat it in the future. However, as we well know, a lot of the history that has been taught to us since elementary school is subject to bias and error. Is it even accurate anymore to say “historically correct”? For example, we all thought the story of Rosa Parks was historically correct until we later found out that the real Rosa Parks was a pregnant teenager whose story was replaced in an attempt to keep stereotypes and controversy from ruining the bravery of her actions. Simulation games such as JFK reloaded help better understand or explain different point of views of those who are involved in the writing or questioning of history. Sure, it is disrespectful to Kennedy’s family to have a loved one’s murder be seen as a game, but at the same time, people are able to see for themselves and make a judgment if they believe in the Warren Commission’s’ “Magic bullet” theory. As previously stated, games are useful learning tools. After all, police re-enact and simulate crimes all the time in order to expose the guilty which is pretty much the same thing you do in JFK reloaded. With these docu-games, people get to experiment with different outcomes of events which, in the case of Kennedy’s murder, were a major part of the building of this nation’s history. Reading the article makes me wonder: what brings people to create these docu-games? Do users really need to “live out” and experience to identify with others from that specific historical setting like in the 9-11 game? If so, what is the significance of doing so?
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I agree with your point on the rewriting of history. There is a saying the goes “history is written by the victor” and this has proven to be very true. There are many slants of pseudo-history that have been replacing history every day. Most of a country’s history that is taught in school is some glorified version of actual people and events. More and more the U.S. schools teach less and less about slavery, German schools teach less about the Holocaust. Every nation is never keen to teach on their own poor choices and games are a good way to highlight this. In a manner similar to theatre, games take the user into a more lifelike simulation of an experience than simply learning about it through a documentary program or being taught it. Experience has always been an excellent way of relating someone to a subject.