Debate smash! 2008

A Presidential-Candidate-Debate-Tennis-game

The concept:

• Two-player game, played on the same keyboard• Resembles a form of tennis• Balls represent issues raised during the campaign• Rackets represent ideologies, established within

the two major US parties.• Hit the ball with the right racket.• The winner is the player that most accurately

communicates the official policy of the party (uses the ‘best’ rackets for the issue-balls).

Rules:

• Picture of issue/racket/points-scheme.• Min. 10 ball-returns pr debate• 3 debates (win 2 of these to become

president)

Procedural Rhetoric:

• Does a presidential debate resemble a tennis match? (fundamentally anti-dialectic in nature)

• By coupling the ‘claim’ that candidates use official party-ideology as the main fundament for answering questions, with that of selecting ‘ideological rackets’ for specific questions, we hope to invite players to experience the policies of the two candidates through play.

Iterations:

• Moderator • Speed of the game• Placement of avatars• Not time for much else

Problems:

• Some communication issues probably (also in this game)

• External playtesting• Not enough time for iterations• Use of ideological rackets is only evaluated in

the score (no gameplay consequences)