Manifesto >>

This movement that I have called ludoztli (making games) exhorts the artist to stop making non interactive art, and break the wall between the art object and the passive viewer.

The Games >>

Learn about the three board games I created based on the political frontier between México and the United States. With them, I attempt to promote discourse and interest among players about the reality of the border.

Additional Stuff >>

Check material by other artists and designers that make use of games to promote their social concerns and perspectives

About Pako >>

My name is Francisco Ortega-Grimaldo, a Doctor in Critical Studies and Artistic Practices. I work as an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University’s School of Art.

Dissertation.

I added a copy of my dissertation to be downloaded as aPDF document. You will find the development of my research about board games as cultural practice as well as material to build the games and play them.

Make sure that your computer has the Acrobat Reader®. (click HERE to get a copy from Adobe©).

link: http://ludoztli.com/diss.html

SWEAT.net

In 2000 I was part of a visionary project called "crosser," a video game (built in the soul and spirit of ATARI) that illustrated the idiosyncrasies that an immigrant goes trough to get into the United States. The commander in chief was my Mentor and Friend Rafael Fajardo. Since then, SWEAT has evolved and increased. Other games were created in the spirit of the "ludoztli" manifesto. Check it out. It will really make your day!

link: http://sudor.net/

Andrew Y. Ames

In 2008, Andrew contacted me asking about "ludoztli" and my perspectives on games. We had a nice flow of e-mails and he was kind enough to add my comments and theories in his theses project "the Art of Making, Bending and Breaking Rules. His thesis as well as his artwork is a clear example of the "ludoztli" manifesto. His ideas about what a game is, or should be, gets the brain going. I personally enjoy the videos of his game "mano a mano" and the aesthetics of the game "argument."

link: http://andrewyames.com/intro.php

Paul Steen

A few weeks ago (August, 2009), Paul contacted me regarding some of the games from this website and invited me to show some of my work in his gallery. He also told me about his own projects. The most enigmatic is Home to Home, a war game that considers the effects of way in urban areas... how much "ludoztli" can you get with something like this? I was amazed on his display of this social issue that has transformed the scenario of war in modern times.

link: http://www.paulsteen.se/h2h.html

Immigration debate finds itself in play;
Advocacy groups are using video and board games
to advance their agendas and influence public opinion.

— L.A. Times —

by Ana Gorman
Times Staff Writer
07/09/2007

-----------------------------
Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, Calif.
Author: Anna Gorman
Date: Jul 9, 2007
Start Page: A.11
Section: Main News; Part A; Metro Desk
Text Word Count: 1480
-------------------------------

Abstract (Document Summary)

“Games are really good at exploring complex issues, and what issue is more complex than immigration?” said Suzanne Seggerman, president of Games for Change, an organization aimed at supporting new uses for digital games. “They are also great at promoting a single point of view.... A game can allow for a new perspective and, in some cases, new conviction.”

“Especially for the age group below 35, online media has become a very central part of their lives,” said Mallika Dutt, Breakthrough's executive director. “If we want to engage with these constituencies, we have to engage in the method and tools that make more sense to them.”

Clark Davis, an English professor at the university, has played Crosser with his 10-year-old son, an avid video game player. “Having a son who had grown up in this video game culture, I hadn't seen anything that was substantive,” Davis said. “I didn't know this whole genre existed.”

for full article, please go to: L.A. Times Archives

© Copyright 2007 Los Angeles Times

<< Pako’s “Crossing the Bridge” board game got included in an article by the L.A. Times.

Ludoztli in the news.

The San Antonio news paper wrote an article about social games directed to border issues, and we got in. Read a copy of the article right here

link: http://ludoztli.com/sa_express_news.html

If you are interested in viewing my personal website and see student's work or view my CV, please go to: http://fog-site.com
(this link will open an additional window)

Contact information:
[e] francisco.ortega@ttu.edu
[e] pako@ludoztli.com
[p] (806) 742.3825 ext. 242