This is exactly what I'm talking about: Using the power and simulational nature of digital games to explain and comment on political processes and procedures. And now it reached the mainstream: The New York Times teamed up with Ian Bogost's Persuasive Games to release a series of "newsgames", a mixture of videogames and political cartoons:
Today, I'm excited to announce that Persuasive Games has a new publishing relationship with The New York Times, in which they will be publishing newsgames we create on their op-ed page, as editorial content, not just as games. This is unprecedented, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I think it represents another important shift in videogames as a medium. This is news/editorial in videogame form, rather than videogames trying to make news fun. The fact that the Times is often considered the national newspaper of record makes this moment even more notable, and gratifying.
Toot that horn, Ian! Toot it like an Alphorn. This is an important step for games indeed – it not only introduces them to a broader audience that probably never considered gaming before but it also shows what the medium is capable of. Unfortunately, the games are only available to paying subscribers. For an impression of what to expect you can still try Persuasive Games' Arcade Wire series: Airport Security, Oil God, Bacteria Salad, Xtreme Xmas Shopping.
-Jens