The video game plays like this: You are a Mexican illegal immigrant, an Indian green-card holder or a student on a visa from Japan.
As you navigate through New York City, you make risky decisions along the way. At a subway turnstile, do you jump or swipe your card? At a corner store, do you pay or shoplift? If you make bad choices and lose points, you can win others by attending immigration rallies or taking English classes.
But watch out: If an immigration agent pops onto the screen, you go straight to a detention center and face possible deportation. You've been ICED -- a twist on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
As the national debate over immigration continues, advocacy groups are trying a new medium -- video games -- to promote their agenda and influence public opinion.
ICED, for example, was produced by Breakthrough, a New York-based human rights organization, to highlight the arbitrary nature of immigration laws.
"Games are really good at exploring complex issues, and what issue is more complex than immigration?" said Suzanne Seggerman, president of Games for Change, an organization aimed at supporting new uses for digital games. "They are also great at promoting a single point of view.... A game can allow for a new perspective and, in some cases, new conviction."
Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he wasn't surprised that advocates had turned to video games to sway public opinion. But he doesn't think they will be successful.
"This is not an issue where people are on the fence," he said. "Everybody is familiar enough with the issue that they have staked out a position already."
Immigration isn't the only serious topic being addressed by groups advancing a particular position. Political candidates have also used games to reach voters. Starbucks recently partnered with an environmental organization to create a game about global warming.
Developers, students and professors have created games about other topics to raise awareness and promote change. Darfur is Dying simulates a Sudanese refugee camp where refugees try to get water without being attacked by militias; Airport Security allows screeners to inspect passengers for prohibited items.
