TED
Noah Raford discusses the concept of “gamecults,” and how video games have the power to create communities that align with certain beliefs or practices. Raford cites examples of current gamecults, such as Hezbollah's video game and white nationalist groups who host Call of Duty tournaments to attract followers. While the rise of virtual worlds, crypto economies, and gaming culture could potentially lead to the birth of large-scale social movements with real-world consequences, Raford also proposes the idea of creating positive gamecults, such as Druidica, Walkabout, and Temple, that have a focus on social impact. He suggests that policymakers, game designers, and parents should have conversations about the role that games might play in the future and how they can be used for good instead of harm.
In this section, the speaker lays out the potential for video games to become the platform for socially impactful movements and strange online communities, which he calls "video gamecults". The speaker bases his belief on the fact that video games are already the primary form of entertainment worldwide, and the in-game economies generated by them are massive. Video games offer players a sense of engagement, connection, and purpose, which speaks to some of our primal social and psychological needs.
In this section, Noah Raford discusses the idea of "gamecults" and their potential impact on society. He explains how the sense of commitment and shared narrative developed in online games can provide a deep sense of fulfillment that real-world jobs and relationships cannot. However, with the world feeling like it's falling apart for many people due to climate change, mass migration, pandemics, job loss, and war, people are starting to look for answers wherever they can find them, including in the form of charismatic leaders and extreme or bizarre beliefs. The rise of virtual worlds, crypto economies, and gaming culture could potentially lead to the birth of large-scale social movements with real-world consequences, also known as gamecults. Raford gives examples of existing gamecults, including Hezbollah's video game and white nationalist groups hosting Call of Duty tournaments to attract followers.
In this section, futurist Noah Raford discusses a potential future where games are ubiquitous and tied to virtual economies, but some may become "violently evangelical" in nature. To counter this, he proposes the idea of creating positive gamecults like "Druidica," a Minecraft-like game focused on restoring damaged ecosystems, "Walkabout," a survival game for refugees based on tolerance and compassion, and "Temple," a pray-to-earn game linked to nondenominational meditation spaces where players level up on a good works board. He suggests that policymakers, game designers, and parents should have conversations about the role that games might play in the future and how they can be used for good instead of harm.
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