CS Procedural Rhetoric Task

For a task in CS, we had to study a game from the list below and analyse its procedural rhetoric. The List of Games was:

• September 12th
• Anti-War Game
• America’s Army -
• Operations
• NY Defender
• Kabul Kaboom
• Save the Whale
• Dafur is Dying
• Balance of Power

I chose to look at 'Save the Whale' as it has roots in my subject of choice for the essay. The questions we were asked were:

Play one of the video games here - or one of your

choosing - and analyse its procedural rhetoric. As
you play the game, you should keep the following
questions in mind:

• What are the rules of the system?
• What is the significance of these rules (over other
• rules)?
• What claims about the world do these rules make?
• How do I respond to those claims?

Save The Whale Game
http://www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html

This simple game has been made to teach children how to add up numbers. The child must look at the pipes number they already have, and find the other end of the pipe with the correct number to add up to ten. They must do this to fill the water up so the whale can be free. The rules teach children to be kind to Whales and help to free them, as well as teaching them about numbers.

Even though the game is predominantly about teaching children how to add up numbers to ten, the rule of the game is basically to 'save the Whale'. This rule teaches children that they must be kind to nature, and that Whales should not be kept captive. The rules claim that Whales are captive animals, and that we must protect them. The political views behind this game belong to Greenpeace. However they are not giving subliminal messages for children to want them as a political party, they are only teaching children about being kind to Whales. The child responds to the rules of the game by saving the Whale and freeing him, leading to the child believing this is the right thing to do.