Paolo Pedercini, founder MolleIndustria (McDonald's Videogame, The New York Times Simulator, Future? No Thanks!)
My Perfect Console with Simon ParkinShow Notes
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 – Wikipedia Paolo Pedercini – Bluesky (@molleindustria.org)
Future? No Thanks! (out now) Future? No Thanks! – Steam 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 Phone Story – Wikipedia Democratic Socialism Simulator – itch.io Faith Fighter – play free in browser
Sweatshop (as mentioned by Simon) Sweatshop – play in browser
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 Sensible Software – 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) Robert Yang – game designer
Other games and references mentioned Theme Park – Bullfrog Productions (1994), Wikipedia Postal 2 – Wikipedia GTA San Andreas Hot Coffee mod – Wikipedia The Yes Men – activist/prankster duo Foxconn suicides – Wikipedia 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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