June 29, 2007
A gamer as head of a major power?According to an Associated Press report, new British foreign secretary David Miliband has an avatar in the popular MMO Second Life.
Miliband, a blogger and technology buff whose nickname among Tony Blair's staff was "Brains," is reportedly being groomed as an eventual candidate for prime minister.
Miliband also has a FaceBook page. Said Alex Bingham of London's Foreign Policy Center think thank:
He has the brain the size of a planet, but he's barely known outside of Britain - that could either work for him or be a real problem.
Added Julian Astle, director of London's Center Forum:
He's certainly a gamble. But he could prove to be a gamble that really pays off.
Comments
LOL thats so funny, but i think for the most part, if this guy plays a MMO life simulator, thats close enough to a gamer as we'll get for awhile, you know? I'm American, so i suppose it doesn't matter for me
The evil of holograms or maybe somekind of advanced Virtual Reality!
Ya... even when gaming passes, the politicans will just whip the next form of media... as today's politcains have proven to us, that those who do not learn from History is doomed to repeat it... can't help but wish that the standard for becoming a politican included much higher Intellgence and Wisdom (got to throw in wisdom, since you can be very intellgent, but still be completly stubborn/selfish/ignorant/blind to the world around you)... also be nice if selflessness could become a standrad aswell
As has been said before, this paranoia will pass, as soon as the 'old school' retires out of politics and younger minds move in. They won't be any more accepting, I'll grant, it'll just move onto another 'great evil of society', but having grown up accepting Video Games as part of their life, it will be something they aren't used to, most likely the next great 'Media Phase', Navigable 3D Movies or the like most likely, 'look, if you tilt the camera this way, you get a frame of nipple! Ban this Filth!'.
Agreed, you are not a gamer unless you know true frusteration of getting ganked by the AI that should not possibly be able to see you or beat you.
Douglas Adams FTW! :)
Just as long as Miliband (I wonder if he had breakfast at Milliways today?) isn't as moody an depressed as Marvin, then we'll be fine. ;)
First, I don't think that playing only one game is enough to make you a "gamer". Second, I'm not even sure that it's appropriate to call Second Life a "game" (where are the game rules, indeed ?)
So even though I'd love to see a gamer being prime minister, I cannot calling someone a "gamer" only because he plays Second Life.
hopefully at least that can stem the tidesome, unless they try to keep him from power now.
note:if you are up for office it means you have passed the basic requirements for it....most of the time...