Officials of both the Canadian and British Red
Cross are becoming more vocal about the way their organizations are represented in certain video games. Not only do
they feel that the Red Cross is being unfairly associated with profanity and violence, but they even went so far as to
cite the usage of their emblem as being "unauthorized" and "illegal". They may have a point, but
this could simply be the by-product of the gaming industry striving to make games more immersive and realistic, not an
anti-Red Cross smear campaign.The American Red Cross web site currently has a variety of interactive Flash games that teach safety skills and first aid. However, to integrate such educational activities into WWII shooters and other violent combat games presents a challenge: how do you leverage the positive aspects of the Red Cross services in a way that is compatible with the escapist and "war is hell" mentality of these games?
The addition of a strategy element or mini-game that authentically allows gamers to manage the purchase and transport of medical supplies to wartorn areas might be one solution. Let us know if you have any other ideas how humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and the Salvation Army could be depicted in video games in a more positive light.
