Citzalia, a virtual 3D world developed for the EU assembly by the European Service Network (ESN), will see participants create their own avatars to walk around, interact, network, debate topical issues, propose and vote on legislation.
Players can opt to play the role of an MEP, journalist or student as they seek to improve their understanding of how democracy works in the EU.
'Democracy in action'
"Citzalia is democracy in action. It is a role-playing game and social networking forum wrapped in a virtual 3D world that captures the essence of the European Parliament," reads a statement on the project's website.
The game, which ESN says cost €275,000 to develop, recreates the EU assembly's offices in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg in a manner similar to popular online community Second Life.
Its features include a citizens' agora to debate EU issues, a press room where articles can be published in a newspaper, a simulator of the legislative process, a library, a kids' zone and an exhibition hall.
Participants can create their own offices, which they can then furnish and decorate. Having an office allows users to add pictures, blog, add a webcam and post voice messages.
Once a participant has tabled a legislative proposal, other players will be able to vote on it.
EU officials hope the game will provide a platform for debate and discussion of the issues that have been, are or can be addressed by MEPs.
"It is an opportunity to hear how other fellow citizens feel about current issues and about the role of the European Parliament," the statement continues.
Asked about the EU's motives for funding the project, Ahmed El-Amin, Citzalia project editor at ESN, told the press that "they want to get EU citizens debating and talking about [European law] and get people to participate on the issues the [European] Parliament debates. Citzalia is a tool for EU citizens who want to understand more about the way parliament works".
"We're entering new territory," said El-Amin. "Nobody knew if Facebook would work. We're trying something, and doing everything we can to ensure its success."
El-Amin insisted that there would be no censorship in the halls of the virtual parliament, but acknowledged that there is a "huge risk that misinformation could be fed in".
To address this, avatars of European Commission officials will "correct" mistaken views about the EU, he said. "They won't be editing for views, but having these people in can sort of correct things," he told the Guardian.
However, it remains to be seen how popular the world of Citzalia will prove to be, given that the site is yet to launch and is currently in a beta trial phase.
Citzalia under fire
The project has already come under fire from prominent Brussels blogger Jon Worth, who points out that "it's simpler for MEPs to approve a few million euros for a website than it is to actually get them communicating effectively themselves".
"I really fear this is going to become a virtual ghost European Parliament with high costs and very few users," Worth says, identifying "structural problems" at the EU assembly which hinder the ability of MEPs to influence the European Union at large.
"The overall direction of European integration and even the composition of the European Commission are too little influenced by whether the [Parliament] is controlled by the left or the right," he states, arguing that "the incentive for [MEPs] to really effectively communicate themselves is still lacking". "No amount of slick websites can possibly address that," he declares.
Doubts persist among the public, too, even at this early stage. Commenting on a video demonstration of the game posted on YouTube, user PatBasssing said "[it] looks very boring – total waste of money".
Others questioned the project's democratic credentials. "Democracy has died so let's give the people […] a simulation," said M187K, another user.
Meanwhile, user opium47 pointed out that "this game is not real. There are no lobbyists," a remark echoed by MrParadigmenwechse, who asked: "Where are the 30,000 lobbyists?"
Citzalia is currently encouraging citizens to sign up to a beta version for testing before the full site goes live later this year.
