News-Game Journalism: History, Current Use and Possible Futures

As electronic computer and console games gain a larger share of the entertainment industry, more communications organizations are turning to this new form to promote, advertise and inform their audience, particularly through online delivery. Within the online news industry, interactive graphics are becoming a viable way to explain complex information and to contextualise reporting. At the same time, several games developers have produced games that reflect real world events, using elements of journalistic practice to inform their game design. This paper examines possible uses for games as news delivery systems used alongside current online journalism practices, exploring the similarities between games and interactive news graphics. The discussion then turns to current newsroom practices and possible futures for using games as news delivery tools.