Paolo Pedercini, founder MolleIndustria (McDonald's Videogame, The New York Times Simulator, Future? No Thanks!)
Om avsnittet
Paolo Pedercini is an Italian game designer, artist, educator, and activist whose work has spent more than two decades challenging assumptions about what video games are for, and what they are allowed to say. In 2003, he founded Molleindustria as a project dedicated to the "reappropriation of video games and the radicalisation of popular culture."
Since then, he has created a remarkable body of short, provocative games about labour, capitalism, religion, technology, and political power, including McDonald’s Videogame, Oiligarchy, Every Day the Same Dream, Phone Story, and Democratic Socialism Simulator. His games have often been satirical, often controversial, and always interested in using play as a way of thinking through systems and ideology. Now he is working on his most ambitious project yet: Future? No Thanks!, an open-world comedy adventure about a grumpy old man completing his bucket list in a solarpunk future.
NOTES:
Paolo Pedercini / Molleindustria
Molleindustria – official site (all Paolo's games)
Paolo Pedercini – Bluesky (@molleindustria.org)
Future? No Thanks! (out now)
Future? No Thanks! – official site
Other Molleindustria games mentioned
McDonald's Video Game – play free in browser
Oiligarchy – play free in browser
Every Day the Same Dream – play free in browser
Democratic Socialism Simulator – itch.io
Faith Fighter – play free in browser
Sweatshop (as mentioned by Simon)
The New Yorker piece (as mentioned by Simon)
The Division 2 and the Severing of Politics from Video Games – The New Yorker
Paolo's Perfect Console
Cannon Fodder (Sensible Software, 1993) – Wikipedia
Shadow of the Colossus (2005) – Wikipedia
Grand Theft Auto V – Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Wikipedia
Push Me Pull You – House House (Steam)
House House – developer of Untitled Goose Game and Big Walk
Radiator Forever – Robert Yang (itch.io)
Other games and references mentioned
Theme Park – Bullfrog Productions (1994), Wikipedia
GTA San Andreas Hot Coffee mod – Wikipedia
The Yes Men – activist/prankster duo
itch.io – indie games platform
Aftermath – independent games journalism
Tom Bissell – My Perfect Console episode
Untitled Goose Game – House House
Next week's guest
Úna Míng Kavanagh – IMIRT emerging talent award 2026
Úna Míng Kavanagh – TikTok (@unamingkavanagh)
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