Persuasion through play: how procedural rhetoric in casual games can inform public relations

Unrestricted The broad appeal of online and mobile casual games and their easy accessibility via multiple platforms presents a novel avenue to use games as communication tools. Games that employ the design concept of procedural rhetoric or in-built computational persuasion can effectively enhance understanding and shape opinion of the game subject and can even motivate players to take action. Viewed from this perspective, it can be posited that these “persuasive” games complement the objectives of public relations professionals and are well-suited to serve as communication platforms. Yet, surprisingly, using games to engage and inform has either been underutilized or has altogether been unnoticed by the public relations industry. Clearly, in keeping pace with our digital information age, the opportunity exists to initiate meaningful dialogue through this dynamic medium.