Over the course of the last two weeks, I was conducting research for a design challenge and presenting it through a research report. Deciding to take up the issue of wealth inequality as one of the most pressing concerns today as we prepare to go out into the workforce and find homes and jobs that we can use to survive. I also think that the exploration of inequality as a whole has always been a solid foundation upon which games can be designed around to say something meaningful about them.
I started by checking out Sheridan's Library services, finding various articles both on how wealth is calculated and how wealth affects not only the extreme edges of society in the impoverished and the ultra-rich, but in fact how it affects everyone and that it is most concerning when the people in the middle are suddenly becoming worse and worse off financially based on factors such as inflation, debt, and education. I learned about how assets are calculated into wealth, and how the system is designed not to focus on tangible wealth, but instead places more value on assets even if there is not necessarily the material wealth to back that up. I learned about how the banking system and the stock exchange are intertwined and yet 50% of all stock is owned by 5% of the population. I also began to look at the idea of wealth distribution, what would be required for such a thing and where the money would go, as well as speculation as to how it would be spent by average people were it redistributed.
In the coming week I'll be working on my game pitch, figuring out a potential gameplay loop and the way I hope to make a comment on wealth inequality in a positive way that can generate both interest and empathy. My ideas are very rough at the moment and need refining, but I'm confident I can produce something exciting.
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Not alot of information great job on your research! I love your goal of trying to go for a more postive approach, its not something I would have went for since the topic is usually shown in a negative light so I'm very interested in seeing what you come up with. With the research you've shown I'm confident you can make something great.
Wealth inequality is a great and very prevalent topic today! makes me think about my rent that will inevitably go up. I like that you would prefer to come up with a game that puts it in a positive light, that sounds more challenging!
Hey Stewart, I still remember an effect I learned about in my previous economics class, the Matthew effect, which refers to the accumulation of advantages happening faster when someone already has some advantages. When I combine this with the principles of wealth distribution that you've studied, it becomes clear that, for the remaining 95% of the population, catching up with the top 5% is nearly impossible. Additionally, I understand that relying solely on policies or expecting the wealthiest individuals to help the majority of the poor may not be a feasible solution. Your approach to fostering empathy seems to be a very promising way to address this problem
I love the topic and how relevant it is as wealth inequality is a big issue. You definitely did some good research on this topic it does look like from what you looked into there may be a good amount of equations that will happen if you go a more number route for your proposal so I hope that it will turn out good. I am excited to see the pitch that will come from this topic.
Hey Stewart,
You've done some great research about your topic. It feels like I learned about what your topic just by reading your devlog. I can understand where you're coming from when you say that inequality of wealth is not something that affects the rich and the poor, but everyone in between as well. As sensitive of a topic this could be, I think it's definitely worth making into a game to send a message of the issues we face today. Excited to see what you'll come up with.
Your research into wealth inequality and your plan to make a game addressing this issue is pretty cool. You've looked into how wealth is calculated and its effects on different groups in society, which is a solid start. When you're working on your game pitch, maybe think about including smaller, related problems like the recent Unity charging incident. This could add some real-world context and make your game more relatable. It's great that you're using games to shed light on such an important issue, and I'm curious to see how your game concept develops!