In an unusual move in digital political communication, the White House has launched a new video game section on its official website, using the graphics and style of classic arcade games to deliver messages related to President Donald Trump's agenda.
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But a game called "Build the Wall" quickly found itself at the center of an intellectual property rights controversy, after its gameplay appeared strikingly similar to the game "Tetris," while the Tetris company confirmed that it had not participated in its development and had not granted permission to use its trademark or intellectual property.
Games from the White House
Earlier this month, the White House unveiled an “Arcade” section featuring five low-resolution video games designed in a style reminiscent of old video games, with each game linked to one of the issues or policies promoted by the Trump administration. The release of these games comes as part of a more reliant approach to digital media and popular culture to reach the public and deliver political messages in an interactive way.
The collection includes "Build the Wall," inspired by the mechanics of tile-matching puzzle games; "Rio Run," similar to the game "Snake"; "Supply Line," related to healthy food policies in schools; "Flappy Bill," inspired by the style of the game "Flappy Bird"; and "Trump Savings Tycoon," which promotes the "Trump Accounts" savings program. The platform also features an advertisement for a sixth game that is expected to be released soon.
"Build the Wall" game
The most controversial game was "Build the Wall," which relies on the idea of dropping similar blocks and arranging them to build a barrier on the US-Mexico border, a mechanism that is linked in the collective memory to the famous game "Tetris".
The game presents the idea in a straightforward political format, as the player must use blocks to build the wall and protect the border from a wave described within the game as a zombie siege. When the player fails to keep the barrier standing, a message appears indicating that the border has been breached.
Although the game is not called "Tetris", the similarity in gameplay and the shape of the pieces made it directly linked to the famous game, which opened the door to questions about the use of elements protected by intellectual property rights.
Tetris quickly responded, confirming that it was not involved in the creation of the "Building the Wall" game and that it did not grant the White House a license to use its trademark or intellectual property in the game.
The company said it takes copyright infringement issues seriously and is reviewing the matter. It also stressed that Tetris' philosophy is based on connecting and bringing people together, not dividing them, in a stance that also appeared to be a clear distancing from the political message associated with the new game.
The company has not yet announced any specific legal action against the White House, and it is unclear whether it will seek to have the game removed or take other steps after completing its review of the matter.
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