April 14, 2010 - Gamers may soon be able to help reduce the United States' massive budget deficit. 

In an effort to reduce the USA's $12.8 trillion federal budget deficit, President Barack Obama's fiscal commission co-chairman Erskine Bowles has asked Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about creating a debt-reducing videogame, USA Today reports. 

According to the report, the game would "enable anyone with a computer to take a stab at balancing the budget." Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey said the game could even "go viral." 

"What you could get is support among the populace for the exceptionally unpopular things you need to do to solve this problem," added Kerry, who help release his own budget-reducing game called Budget Shadows for PC in 1994 as chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1083862p1.html

IDK, they should incorporate a more complex economic model for video games like Total War, rather than making it a standalone game.

The easiest way to reduce the massive debt is for the government to start spending less than in collects. I'd be shocked if the US federal government did something like that. It would just make too much sense.

Yes, that's the general idea, but I think they are looking for something a little more specific.

I love this idea, and I may play around with this for a project for class, since I just so happen to be an accounting major.

^^ To bad that will never happen.

Fine line between genius and madness. Not sure which this is

Wouldn't economics be more emphasized? Sure accounting is the means, but you can simply say "Tax revenue is this, this this and this go out", or be a bit more complex and say "Raise income tax by this much, decrease flat taxes by this, put in this program, but take these 3 out"

The tough question though is WHAT programs are we to take out, how much we should raise or reduce taxes, etc. And these are all Macroeconomic questions. Should we balance the budget in a recession? Should we increase government spending, or reduce interest rates?

I'll much prefer a game that emphasizes the economics of budget balancing and government internvention, than just accounting.

I don't think they are necessarily mutually exclusive. Give the guys that know how to run a business corrrectly a chance at least before counting us out.

The government truly is made of morons if they're planning to pay off the debt without first balancing the massive trade deficit. And Barack Obama now wants to pay off the debt? Gee...

OMG And I thought the Canadian debt was monstruous!

Sounds like a flop title that will fail and cost the government more money for the defecit.