Whether we like it or not, the politics of the real world can inform much of what happens in-game, even if people want the opposite. No more is that apparent than in the upcoming space colonization MMO SEED, which sent out a number of surveys to its community members asking them about their political leanings and their overall play objectives.
According to the results from 240 respondents, all of whom hail from various countries, the vast majority are unhappy with the state of their country’s government. As such, 44% said their political beliefs will have “some” effect on how they approach playing in SEED, with 36% saying they lean center-left, 21% center-right, and 21% as left wing. The vast majority of players said they will play cooperatively, with exploratory gameplay being the second most popular response.
Interestingly, a large number of respondents – 55% – said they believe SEED will teach people about real-life politics and social organization. As summarized by one respondent:
“On some level, I hope SEED can act as an incubator/modelling grounds for seeing how politics might play out in real life. I’m thinking of not only American (my native) politics, but also looking at the rise of the far-right around the world. Although, I imagine the circumstances would be very different in-game (e.g. there’s no 2008 financial crisis in the game) but the human players behind the controls are nonetheless affected and playing out, even if unconsciously, such political choices.”
