Brilliantly put; I'll be looking forward to this title. I just hope it can avoid the problems arising from an ignorant mass media that plagued 'Six Days in Fallujah'.

I have trouble seeing how games can ever "address" an issue like this. Players are simply interested in overcoming challenges and solving puzzles. You can set these things within the context of a "difficult issue," but in the end the vast majority of players are simply looking to find the game challenges within, bank their achievements and move on to the next game.

Games are for entertainment, and they do a great job. Trying to be more than that is commendable, but for the most part futile and certainly not commercially viable.

We would like to think of ourselves as artists working in the "preeminent art form of the 21st century" but we're deluding ourselves. We make games for fun, which is great in it's own right.

I disagree Mario. A quick look at some of the most popular titles in recent years typically shows a direct correlation between sales and substance. Games like Modern Warfare or Bioshock did address complex social issues and they did so in an entertaining way. The issues addressed in these games are not new concepts, but because they were presented in a more immersive form than previously possible, the themes carried more weight and, in my opinion, created a more meaningful experience.
Moving to simpler (XBLA) games, there are probably 200 platforming side-scrollers available on the marketplace. However, only one of these titles is consistently on the 'top-downloaded' list; 'Braid'. Braid is a masterpiece in every aspect, however, the one thing that people always talk about is the re-enforcement of the themes of regret and forgiveness through the gameplay. Braid could have rested on its laurels and still been a fantastic platformer with beautiful artwork, clever puzzles, and a fantastic score. But Jonathan Blow pushed for more; he crafted a powerful story and presented it in a brilliant way.
Yes, games can be just fun time-wasters, and crafting a fun experience is an art-form in itself. But games can be more. Games, no matter the genre or tech, ingrain experiences into their players deeper than any other medium. I can vividly remember every detail about 'Pole Position' despite not playing it since I was 6-years-old; there is no television show or movie that I can say the same about. As designers, we can use this deep link with our players to deliver an exciting experience that entertains our audience, or, we can go a step further and use our games to "bring to light difficult issues, in ways that can inform, entertain, make us question the world around us, and hopefully inspire us to change it."

John, I think you bring up a good point with the Bioshock and Modern Warfare take on real-life social issues. But I think that what Mario was getting at is that while there are titles aplenty that implement real-life into their fiction, and may enlighten some gamers, I don't think any gamer has ever participated in an anti-war rally, political protest, or letter-writing campaign because they were so influenced by playing a video game.

But who knows? I could be wrong. I've found plenty of protesters influenced by much less credible media (see Glenn Beck, nyuk, nyuk, nyuuk...I kid, I kid.)

As for this game, I believe that Mario has it right, but for a different reason. People may just want it for charging their gamer score. However, in addition, I also believe that the breed of gamer that would find this game influential is the kind of person who already has a mindset opposed to the current Iranian administration. It's either placating to achievement grinders or preaching to the choir.

The game itself might not make the player join a protest, but it might get them interested enough in the issue to do some research. That research may inspire them to join a protest.

Books, songs, and movies have all be credited for inspiring movements, there is no reason why games can't too.