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Games for Change (G4C) provides support, visibility and shared resources to organizations and individuals using digital games for social change. This is the primary community of practice for those interested in making digital games about the most pressing issues of our day, from poverty to race and the environment. We are the social change/social issues branch of the Serious Games Initiative.

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Pos or Not: mtvU puts Twist on Hot or Not

Posted by Hsing Wei on 05-08-08

Adding a social change dimension to judging people’s profiles, mtvU and the Kaiser Family Foundation have developed Pos or Not, a viral online game that confronts stereotypes surrounding HIV/AIDS while providing information about how to prevent the spread of the disease. 

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The simple gameplay confronts harmful perceptions about who is affected by HIV/AIDS.  With pics and personal stats reminescent of social network profiles, players score by guessing who is or is not HIV positive—turns out its hard to determine a person’s HIV status by their look, gender, age or interests.  Aside from reducing the stigma faced by people living with HIV, the game aims to break down the barriers that prevents people from using protection, getting tested, and talking openly about HIV. 


With normal mtv marketing savy, aside from tabs for “Get Informed” and “Get Tested”, notable players like Wyclef and Aesop Rock are highlighted.  The game’s website also offers multiple ways to get involved—encourages folks to send suggestions on how to improve the game, share their own story, or send to a friend.