Imagine the GameStop meme-stock phenomenon mapped to impact investing to change the dynamics of… capitalism. Or collaborative creativity to achieve a just transition to net zero and other Sustainable Development Goals. Our visions of the future are so often shaped by evocative popular media; movies, TV shows, video games, novels and comics. Unfortunately in today’s world, most future visions involving the future of capitalism are dystopian and filled with extreme inequality, environmental collapse and socio-political upheaval. The workshop will share research and invite collaboration around how to use video games and associated media forms to nurture the collective agency of Gen Z, Millennial and other online investors who want to align their investments with social impact goals.
The Ford Foundation is working with E-Line Media and ImpactAlpha to develop video game concepts and approaches to spur collective imagination and action and create collective visions of the future that we want to urge into existence. In this workshop, we will share insights from game research and explore how the practice of video-game world-building can create evocative, research-grounded visions of aspirational but achievable futures for impact investing and capitalism. The design goals are to frame creative concepts (e.g., game genre and key mechanics, visual design, length of play, etc.) to achieve both impact goals and popular success.
