White House Launches Retro Arcade Games Online
Listen to the story
The White House website has launched five new arcade-style video games. The games use a retro design, similar to old video games from decades ago.
Each game promotes a part of President Trump's political agenda. One game asks players to stop a border 'siege', a term used to describe large numbers of people trying to cross into the country at once.
Another game focuses on 'Trump Accounts'. Players must try to fill these accounts as part of the gameplay. The White House has not given full details about what these accounts represent.
The overall look and message of the games have been described as a 'MAGA makeover' of classic arcade games. MAGA stands for 'Make America Great Again', Trump's well-known political slogan.
By publishing the games on its official website, the White House is using entertainment as a tool to spread its political message. This is an unusual step for a government website, which normally focuses on news and information rather than games.
The games are free and can be played online by anyone who visits the site. It is not yet clear how popular the games have become or how long they will remain available.
This move shows how modern administrations are trying new digital methods to connect with the public, especially younger audiences who may enjoy gaming.
Vocabulary9 words
- White House
- the home and office of the US president
- arcade
- a place or style of simple games, often coin-based in the past
- retro
- styled like something from an earlier time
- agenda
- a plan of goals or actions
- MAGA
- short for 'Make America Great Again', a political slogan
- slogan
- a short, memorable phrase used for a cause
- entertainment
- things done for fun, like games or shows
- administrations
- governments in power at a certain time
- audiences
- groups of people who watch, read, or use something
Quiz
Answer key
1. Retro arcade style 2. Stop a 'siege' 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The White House website has launched five new _____-style video games. The games use a _____ design, similar to old video games from decades ago.
Each game promotes a part of President Trump's political _____. One game asks players to stop a border '_____', a term used to describe large numbers of people trying to cross into the country at once.
Another game focuses on 'Trump Accounts'. Players must try to _____ these accounts as part of the gameplay.
The overall look and message of the games have been described as a '_____ makeover' of classic arcade games. MAGA stands for 'Make America Great Again', Trump's well-known political _____.
By publishing the games on its official website, the White House is using _____ as a tool to spread its political message.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is appropriate for a government website to host political video games? Why or why not?
- How might young people react to games like these compared to traditional news?
- What are some benefits and risks of using entertainment to spread political messages?
- Would you play a game like this? Why or why not?
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