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Our latest Iran Chat is with Navid Khonsari, video game creator and the founder of Ink Stories, the independent film and gaming studio responsible for the development of the fascinating video game\\xa01979 Revolution: Black Friday, which puts players into the world of the revolution in Iran in 1979.\\xa0 While our conversation focused on this game about the Iranian revolution, Mr. Khonsari is also well known for his work developing the cinematic look and feel for video games like\\xa0Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, The Warriors\\xa0and others.\\xa0 For more information about\\xa01979 Revolution: Black Friday, or to purchase it, you can visit inkstories.com.
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Some highlights of our conversation are below:
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How to describe 1979 Revolution: Black Friday:\\xa0\\xa0

In\\xa01979 Revolution: Black Friday\\xa0you play a protagonist, Reza, who is 18 years old and who just returned to Iran from Germany, arriving in the midst of turmoil on the streets of Tehran. \\xa0\\xa0With this character, \\u201cyou have the ability to not just physically navigate the streets, but also morally navigate how you want to be involved with the revolution.\\u201d\\xa0 \\xa0Mr. Khonsari describes it as \\u201ca movie that you get to play where you control the destiny of the character,\\u201d and says, \\u201cquite simply the easiest thing to refer to is the adventure books that used to exist; you have the ability to make choices, and the choices end up changing the narrative of your experience."

He adds that the game is accessible to anyone, including those who would not typically be considered \\u201cgamers.\\u201d\\xa0 It can be played on a touch screen and doesn\\u2019t focus on eye-hand coordination.\\xa0\\xa0

On portraying a complicated subject:

\\u201cThe thing we always say here at InkStories is that it\\u2019s not a matter of black and it\\u2019s not a matter of white. It\\u2019s all about the shades of gray. If we can convey that, then we are actually conveying what\\u2019s really taking place [including] the morality, and the choices that people have to deal with in these chaotic moments.\\u201d\\xa0 He says that he wanted the player to be in the shoes of a young person, an 18 year old protagonist, because the player and the protagonist are both, themselves, trying to figure things out.\\xa0 Indeed, presenting the revolution in all of its shades of gray provides the player with an \\u201cemotional journey, rather than trying to tell them the pros and cons of a political group.\\u201d\\xa0

\\u201cIn the end we try to tell a passionate, emotional story about people and about relationships and about family. And that is something everybody can relate to.\\u201d

On the power of the medium:

\\u201cWe were taking a look at games and the impact and power that they have compared to other mediums that we\\u2019ve been involved with.\\u201d\\xa0 In reflecting on the power of video games to surpass other mediums in their ability to tell a story, he explains that \\u201cbecause of the interactive nature of it, games allow you to be in the shoes of the character, and that\\u2019s [powerful.]\\u201c\\xa0 He adds that the technology has further advantages because, \\u201cwe can now provide this experience with so few barriers through digital distribution.\\xa0 Embracing the ability to get the word out, the message out, truly democratizes the process.\\u201d

As evidence of the unique way that this medium can speak to players that others cannot, Mr. Khonsari notes that the game is being used as an educational resource: \\u201c1979 Revolution: Black Friday\\xa0is being used in a UNESCO paper as an example for conflict resolution, so it\\u2019s now being brought into schools across North America, Scandinavia, Australia\\u2026 with a curriculum to start teaching people about what took place, rather than just watching a film or reading a book."\\xa0