Video Game "PeaceMaker" Makes Mid-East Peace, Not War

A new game takes a novel approach to the conflict in the Middle East. Rather than destroying the enemy, to win, there must be peace.

Programmers in Israel and the US are proving that peace in the Middle East can exist, if only in a virtual world. The software is called "PeaceMaker" and users role play as the Israeli prime minister or Palestinian president. The simulation game, which is loosely based on historical events, allows gamers to make diplomatic, security and economic decisions. Scenarios play out in pop-up windows, and every move that is made affects the end result of the situation. To win the game, a peace agreement must be reached and Palestinian state must be established. "The secret is to opt for the middle route, to walk between the drops and not make radical decisions," said one of the developers, Israeli native Asi Burak. "You have to know when to ignore things and when to respond." The game was originally created as part of a project at Carnegie Melton University in Pennsylvania, but the creators are now selling it online for $20. The university is also using the game, which can be played in English, Hebrew, or Arabic, as a teaching tool.

"We tried to answer all the things that we felt were critical -- Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem, so that it would stay timeless," Burak said. "We did not name names of leaders." It was important to test the game during development, and the creators gathered feedback from Muslims and Jews including Palestinians and Israelis. "It depends how people approach it psychologically and what kind of baggage they are carrying," Burak said. "Many Israelis have said they found it very difficult playing the Palestinian side, for example. Also, people tend to play their own side."

Learn more, or purchase the game online here.