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a forum for the uses of videogames in advertising, politics, education, and other everyday activities, outside the sphere of entertainment



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CNN Political Market
February 4, 2008 - by Ian Bogost

I've been a bit out of it thanks to new projects taking the place of completed ones, but I just noticed that CNN has launched CNN Political Market, "where you get a chance to predict the future of 2008 presidential politics." After logging in you get $5,000 virtual dollars to invest in election markets. It's a pretty straightforward idea, similar to the old Hollywood Stock Exchange. I know we live in a society that thrives on exchange value, but I've always found these virtual markets to be offensive. If there's anything we don't need, it's collapsing the already broken electoral process into a game of amassing virtual wealth.




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