Yes, yes, yes!! Thank you so much for this article. I have been working in this space for a long time and at a loss for how to put it. Let’s make Games for Good that are also Good Games! If you play a game that is Meant To Educate You, you leave informed, even engaged, but you also feel a little used– like game mechanics manipulated your involvement. But if you have a game that you would play no matter what, you’re naturally motivated to follow up on it. (I went from hating natural science to loving it through a game in which I had magical powers of ecological modification.)
We as a society need more activities that bring us pleasure, fun, that we can’t put down, that also have the side effect of being good for us. Sports are like that– they bring us health and teamwork, but are played for their own sake. We games for change makers are the ones who can create similar activities for mental and social health. I am convinced that entertainment is the future of widespread, effective social change.