1979 Revolution: Black Friday

2016 adventure interactive drama video game May 2016 1979 Revolution: Black Friday 1979 Revolution game logo.png iNK Stories iNK Stories Navid Khonsari Andres Perez-Duarte Jason Schreiber Adam Neuhaus Navid Negahban Navid Khonsari Brian Wood Nima Fakhrara Unity OS X Windows iOS Android PlayStation 4 Nintendo Switch Xbox One April 5, 2016 OS X, Windows April 5, 2016 iOS June 10, 2016 Android December 14, 2016 PlayStation 4 July 31, 2018 Nintendo Switch August 2, 2018 Xbox One August 3, 2018 Adventure, interactive drama Single-player 1979 Revolution: Black Friday is an adventure interactive drama video game developed and published by iNK Stories, with assistance from by N-Fusion Interactive. The player controls Reza Shirazi, an aspiring photojournalist, who returns to Iran amidst the Iranian Revolution. As he becomes more involved in the events of the Revolution, Reza is forced to make decisions in order to survive. The player makes timed responses throughout the game, determining the outcome of the plot. They are tasked with taking in-game photographs of their surroundings, and given historical background of the events. The game was in development for four years and was created to combine elements from video games and documentaries with an engaging narrative. Game director Navid Khonsari, who was a child in Iran at the time of the Revolution, developed the game with the intention of making the player understand the moral ambiguity of the situation. The development team conducted extensive research, interviewing historical scholars and Iranians who lived in Tehran during the Revolution and gathering numerous archival photos and historical speeches. Cast performances were recorded using motion capture and each character was developed with ambiguous attitudes and morals. 1979 Revolution: Black Friday was released for Android, iOS, OS X, and Windows in 2016, and for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2018. It was well received by critics, with praise particularly directed at the narrative, characters, performances, and historical representations, though some criticism was directed at the quick-time sequences and visual quality. After an Iranian journalist labelled it propaganda, Khonsari felt afraid to reenter Iran and developers adopted aliases for protection. The game was nominated for multiple year-end accolades from several gaming publications. Gameplay 1979 Revolution: Black Friday is an adventure interactive drama video game. The player controls Reza Shirazi—an aspiring photojournalist who returns to Iran amidst the Iranian Revolution. Throughout the game, the player is presented with the ability to interact with their surroundings, including crowds of people on strike, and a homeless mother and her infant child. Upon interaction, the player is frequently prompted to take photographs of the selected person or event using Reza's camera. Menus appear on screen, comparing the in-game photograph to real images of the event taken by photographer Michel Setboun. The player also collects tapes featuring the speeches of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Some moments require timed responses from the player, often leading to significant decisions that impact the story. Some conversation trees require the player to select a response within a limited time, otherwise Reza remains silent. The game requires action choices, wherein the player must decide what to do in specific circumstances; for example, one sequences tasks the player with choosing whether to take aggression during a protest, or to take photographs. Other characters will respond to the decisions accordingly, and a notification feature indicates that a character will remember the selected response. In action-based sequences, the player follows on-screen prompts for quick time events in order to stay alive. Should the player fail to follow the prompts in the allocated time, the game restarts from prior to the quick time event. 900 horizontal center 1979 Revolution screenshot 11.jpg The player's dialogue and action choices determine the outcome of the narrative. The player character is standing with a rock in his hand, with two friends in front of him and a large crowd behind him. There are two dialogue options near the bottom of the screen: "Throw Rock" and "Don't Throw Rock". 1979 Revolution screenshot 02.jpg The player is tasked with capturing images of significant events with a camera. Still camera footage of a man speaking to a public crowd through a megaphone. Some people are standing behind him on stage. 1979 Revolution screenshot 09.jpg The menus provide information regarding significant events captured by the player on camera. Two images (one in-game, one real life) of a large crowd of protesters in Tehran. A short paragraph of text at the bottom of the screen describes the images. Plot 276 vertical right 1979 Revolution screenshot 03.png Reza's friend Babak Azadi accompanies him throughout most of the game. Camera view of a dark-haired, mustached man, who has his hands outreached to his sides. 1979 Revolution screenshot 13.jpg Reza's brother, Hossein Shirazi, is a police officer and uses his power to assist Reza when he gets in legal trouble. The player character is facing a police officer, who is berating him. Two officers stand in the background, near a police cruiser. The game opens in 1980, as aspiring photojournalist Reza Shirazi (Bobby Naderi) is ambushed at his hideout by police, and taken to Evin Prison, where he is interrogated by Asadollah Lajevardi (Navid Negahban). Reza, who was part of the Iranian Revolution in an attempt to overthrow the Shah, chooses whether or not to cooperate with Asadollah, who goes by the name of Hajj Agha. The game cuts to September 1978, as 18-year-old Reza and his pacifist friend Babak Azadi (Omid Abtahi) watch crowds chanting about the revolution from a rooftop, and Reza takes photographs. The two then walk the streets, and arrive at a protest where revolution leaders are giving speeches. Reza's cousin Ali Shirazi (Nicholas Guilak) arrives and, when the protest is interrupted by soldiers and the crowd begins to disperse, he tries to convince Reza to throw rocks at the soldiers. Babak opposes, and Reza is left to decide whether to act aggressively and throw rocks, or act passively and voice his concerns instead. When the soldiers start threatening the crowds by firing, Reza and Babak flee into an alley, shortly followed by Ali and an injured Abbas (Ray Haratian), one of the revolution leaders who was stabbed in the commotion. After briefly being tended to, Abbas is escorted away by Ali and Bibi Golestan (Mozhan Marnò). In a flashforward at the prison, Hajj brings out Reza's brother Hossein Shirazi (Farshad Farahat), and threatens to harm him if Reza does not cooperate and provide information about Bibi. The game returns to Reza and Babak, who arrive at the rebellion hideout. Reza meets with Abbas, who is convinced that one of the revolution leaders betrayed and stabbed him, and tasks Reza with discovering the culprit. As he is investigating, Reza is approached by some of the leaders and accused of stabbing Abbas. A brief argument ensues, but is shortly ended as police begin to ambush the hideout. Abbas hurriedly demands an answer from Reza regarding the betrayer, and Reza is forced to decide which of the revolution leaders stabbed Abbas. In a flashforward, Hajj reveals to Reza that he chose the wrong person, but they were killed shortly thereafter. At the hideout, Reza is arrested by the police, but Hossein arrives and demands to know where Ali is located. Reza refuses to tell him, and Hossein drives him to their parents' household. The following day at a protest, Reza and Babak discover that martial law has been declared. They move to the streets and join the large crowds. Soldiers arrive and demand the crowds to disperse; when the crowds hold their ground, the soldiers begin firing at them. Reza rushes to Ali, who has been shot, and bandages his wound. Babak and Bibi help move Ali away from the commotion and into an alley, where they find Hossein. Hossein aims his gun at Ali, threatening to shoot him for his crimes, and Ali produces his gun and threatens Hossein. Reza tries to convince the two to stop, but is interrupted by firing soldiers. Reza then chooses whom to save from the gunfire: Hossein or Ali. Should Reza save Hossein, the latter is thankful and directs him to the nearest hospital; Ali dies regardless of Reza's choice. Bibi and Reza escort Babak, who was wounded in the gunfire, towards the nearest hospital, but he shortly dies of his wounds. In a flashforward to the prison, the ending is determined based on Reza's actions to Hossein throughout the game: if Reza was unpleasant to Hossein, Hajj frees the latter, who begins to choke Reza and demands Bibi's location; if Reza was favorable to Hossein, Hajj shoots and kills the latter, before pointing the gun to Reza's head and demanding Bibi's location. Development thumb|upright=1|right|Director Navid Khonsari was a child in Iran at the time of the Iranian Revolution, witnessing many of the events that later inspired the game.|alt=Headshot of a bald man with glasses, smirking at the camera. 1979 Revolution: Black Friday was in development for four years; the first two years consisted of seeking money from financiers, and the game was developed over the following two years. The concept originated from a talk that director Navid Khonsari gave at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in 2011, which involved creative stories dealing with navigating difficult ideological and social situations. The game is based on events that occurred during the Iranian Revolution, namely Black Friday. The development team coined the term "vérité game" to describe 1979 Revolution, based on the cinéma vérité style of documentary filmmaking. They consider it an interactive storytelling technique that combines elements from video games and documentaries, blending them with a flexible narrative. The team wanted to avoid the game being considered strictly educational, ensuring player entertainment and engagement was the highest priority. They also wanted to ensure that its simple gameplay would allow for both gamers and non-gamers to take part. Khonsari said that the development was the result of "a culmination of doing games, falling in love with narrative storytelling and ... fascination with documentary". Khonsari first discussed the game in February 2011, announcing it as 1979: The Game. It was initially intended to be episodic, consisting of three or nine episodes, with Black Friday set to be the focus of the first episode, but was later reduced to one game. A crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter in 2013 with a goal of US$395,000, but failed to reach its goal, with a total of US$304,741 raised. Additional fundraising was set up on the game's website. Following the failed campaign, the team partnered with the New Frontier Story Lab at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and 2015, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. It was also selected for demonstration at Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2015 as part of Interactive at Sheffield, and was playable at PAX West in 2016. 1979 Revolution was approved through Steam Greenlight in July 2015, and was released for OS X and Windows on April 5, 2016, followed by iOS devices on June 10 and Android devices on December 14, and it was released for the PlayStation 4 on July 31, 2018, Nintendo Switch on August 2, and Xbox One on August 3. Virtual reality support was planned via Oculus Rift, with an interrogation scene rewritten to fit the experience. 1979 Revolution runs on the Unity game engine. Khonsari expressed interest in a sequel, noting it depends on the game's commercial success, and in developing more games about historical events. A virtual reality companion piece to 1979 Revolution, titled Blindfold, was released for the PlayStation VR in September 2019. The player assumes the role of a photojournalist being interrogated by Lajevardi in Evin Prison. Story and setting Khonsari was a child in Iran at the time of the Revolution, and left the country shortly after it ended. Khonsari developed the game with the intention of making the player understand the moral ambiguity of the situation, due to the different beliefs in Iran, and to "feel the passion and the elation of being in the revolution". When the initial concept was conceived, the location of Iran had not been decided; the team was attracted to the idea of a game set during a revolution, ultimately settling on the Iranian Revolution. The team felt the chaotic environment would make the player wary of which characters to trust. When representing the concept of a revolution, the team wished to demonstrate the multiple definitions of the term. Khonsari stated that they "wanted to embrace that spirit of revolution, but we also show the trajectory of a revolution", regarding the true negative and complicated results of real revolutions. The team interviewed a group of 40 Iranians who lived in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution. The setting and environments are based on photographs taken by real photojournalists during the era, such as Michel Setboun, and graffiti on the streets of Tehran at the time. The team also studied many documentaries, films, journals and documents regarding Iran, and sought feedback from academic, political, religious and cultural advisers. They interviewed over fifty history scholars, including sociologist and political scientist Jack Goldstone, gathered about 1,500 archival photos, and collected many of Ayatollah Khomeini's speeches during their research. The home video footage featured in the game is that of Khonsari's grandfather, recorded in Super 8 film from the 1950s to 1979. Producer Navid Negahban, who portrayed Hajj Agha in the game, was a high school student at the time of the Revolution. He said that the script "brought back memories", and he provided information to the writers based on his personal experiences of the time. Character development thumb|upright=1.2|right|The actors performed motion capture for their roles, in addition to providing voice work.|alt=Two actors perform in dark suits on a motion capture stage, surrounded by cameras. The director looks on from the side. Performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology, with remaining audio elements recorded later in a studio. The motion capture studio—House of Moves, in Los Angeles—uses over 70 cameras, synchronized to capture the full-body motion of each actor. The 90-page script was recorded in three days of shooting on April 13–15, 2015. Khonsari, who directed the performances, shot full "master" takes in which the actors performed the entire scene without cutting; this was done to save time during production. The game was initially set to follow the stories of eight to ten playable characters, beginning with an American-Iranian State Department translator trying to free American hostages in the Iran hostage crisis. This was later reduced to a single character: an aspiring Iranian photojournalist. Khonsari's goal was to allow the player to "see the world is a lot more gray than black and white", achieving this by having a protagonist who experienced the Revolution. The characters are based on the interviews conducted with Iranians who experienced the Revolution. Executive producer Vassiliki Khonsari said the characters "do not fall into the typical good guy/bad guy, but everyone is a shade of gray ... to show the complexity of history". The developers sought to include characters from different families, beliefs, and social classes. Farshad Farahat, who portrayed Hossein Shirazi, was present during the 2009 Iranian protests. He appreciated the game's interactivity, and the choices that the player is forced to make. The development team felt that allowing player choice for some of the dialogue and actions allowed for a more personable experience, and for the player to connect with the story and characters. Khonsari felt that it allows for a better understanding of the events and experiences of the revolution. The team also ensured that most choices had some effect, stating "a subtle or significant decision has repercussions". Reception Critical response (Win Windows) 80/100(NS Nintendo Switch) 77/100(PS4 PlayStation 4) 70/100 67% critics recommend 8/10 8/10 75/100 Gameplanet 8/10 1979 Revolution: Black Friday received "generally favorable" reviews for Windows and Switch, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic, and "mixed or average" reviews for PlayStation 4, and 67% of critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic. Reviewers liked the narrative, characters, and historical representations, though some criticism was directed at its quick-time sequences, and visual quality. Digitally Downloaded ranked 1979 Revolution: Black Friday 38th on its list of best video games in September 2016; editor Matt Sainsbury described it as the "best example" of the medium being "used as a chronicle of critical events in human history". In June 2021, Game Rants Erik Petrovich considered 1979 Revolution one of the best games inspired by real stories. IGNs Chloi Rad commended the blend of drama and action, as well as the realistic depiction of violence, and felt the setting and period helped demonstrate the spirit of the revolution. Andrew Todd of Gameplanet praised the game's manner of dealing with issues like inequality, theocracy, and causes of anti-Americanism, and noted that they help create the atmosphere of the story and setting. Eurogamers Jeffrey Matulef found the narrative's moral ambiguity refreshing, particularly the depiction of corrupting good people. He felt that the development team being primarily Iranian added to the authenticity. Kotakus Evan Narcisse similarly appreciated the ambiguity, noting its close imitation to the era. Some critics found the choices important and scary, while others found them ultimately inconsequential. Eurogamers Matulef declared the characters superior and more sympathetic over those in other games, which would depict them "as cardboard henchmen or stormtroopers". IGNs Rad found the character of Reza to be likable, and Game Informers Javy Gwaltney considered his story fascinating. The acting received praise: IGNs Rad called the performances "powerful", and Kotakus Narcisse felt they have the ability to "pull players into the drama". Gameplanets Todd felt the characters often "speak in exposition rather than emotion", but that "when the drama works, it really works". thumb|right|upright=1.2|The game frequently features sequences wherein Reza is interrogated at Evin Prison by warden Asadollah Lajevardi. Journalists praised the imitation of real events.|alt=The player character is sitting, with his hands tied, and blood on his face and clothes. A dark-haired man looks down to him. Alexander Kriss of Kill Screen found the historical information to be "both genuinely educational but also tantalizing in their brevity", noting their reinforcement of the story's themes. IGNs Rad commended the game's ability to deliver enriching information "without bombarding" the player. Gameplanets Todd deemed the setting of Iran "convincing and real", praising its complexity and detail, although found the density of the history somewhat overwhelming. Eurogamers Matulef felt that the information may provide too much backstory for the characters and events, but attributed this to personal preferences. Criticism was directed at the quick-time sequences. Kotakus Narcisse considered them clunky, and Eurogamers Matulef found them "poorly constructed". Game Informers Gwaltney similarly felt them to be "shoehorned" in between dialogue encounters. Kill Screens Kriss wrote that such sequences are featured in games like The Walking Dead (2012) to reinforce a sense of urgency in the player, but felt this was unnecessary in 1979 Revolution as "the tension already feels real enough". The visuals similarly received mixed responses: Game Informers Gwaltney considered the art and environments "impeccable" but criticized the character models, and Eurogamers Matulef described the graphics as "competent at best and an eyesore at worst". IGNs Rad echoed similar remarks, identifying awkward animations of background characters, and Gameplanets Todd felt that 1979 Revolution "lacks the polish" of works by Telltale Games. Political and institutional responses When the game started gaining popularity in June 2012, Iranian conservative newspaper Kayhan published pieces naming it "pro-Western propaganda" and accusing Khonsari of espionage; he subsequently felt afraid to reenter the country. Some developers used aliases to protect themselves, and the concept artist fled Iran due to his involvement. Khonsari said that "anytime Iran has something written about them in the west, they feel as if it is propaganda against them." Following the game's release in 2016, the National Foundation for Computer Games (NFCG) blocked all websites distributing it in Iran and began gathering all illegally distributed copies in the country. NFCG director Hassan Karimi claimed the game had "hostile intentions and objectives" and may "poison the minds of the youth and young adults ... by means of false and distorted information". Vassiliki Khonsari attributed the ban to the game documenting history of "different ideologies, different economic classes, different social classes [coming] together to overthrow the Shah", which she described as the "gray area" that the NFCG accused of being inaccurate. 1979 Revolution was featured in a November 2016 UNESCO report by Paul Darvasi about the impact of games on learning about conflict resolution; Darvasi noted the game "might be studied to determine if [it] can be used to support the production of historical empathy, global empathy, and ethnocultural empathy, all which contribute to the acquisition and development of intercultural understanding".13 In 2022, a branch of Germany's Federal Agency for Civic Education critiqued the game; teacher Alexander Zart found it affected by subjective depictions due to Khonsari's significant personal background, despite its framing as an "interactive documentary". Accolades 1979 Revolution: Black Friday received multiple nominations from gaming publications. It was nominated for Best Adventure Game from IGN at E3 2016. After its release, the game won the Grand Jury Award at IndieCade, and Best Meaningful Play at the 13th Annual International Mobile Gaming Awards. It was nominated for Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2016, for Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction and the D.I.C.E. Sprite Award at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and for Best Adventure Game and Best Story from IGN. It was nominated for three awards at the New York Game Awards: Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year, Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game, and Herman Melville Award for Best Writing. The game was nominated for Excellence in Narrative at the 19th Annual Independent Games Festival Awards, where it also received honorable mentions for Best Audio and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize; it received an honorable mention for Best Debut at the 17th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. It won Game of the Year and Best Gameroom Game from Facebook in 2017. Award Date Category Result British Academy Games Awards April 6, 2017 Performer (Navid Negahban as 'Hajj Agha') D.I.C.E. Awards February 23, 2017 D.I.C.E. Sprite Award Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction Game Developers Choice Awards March 1, 2017 Best Debut (iNK Stories) Honorable Mention Independent Games Festival Awards Excellence in Narrative Best Audio Honorable Mention Seumas McNally Grand Prize Honorable Mention International Mobile Gaming Awards February 28, 2017 Best Meaningful Play New York Game Awards January 19, 2017 Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game Herman Melville Award for Best Writing The Game Awards December 1, 2016 Games for Impact References 1979 Revolution: Black Friday iNK Stories iNK Stories April 5, 2016 OS X & Windows 1.0 "High Noon" 1979 Revolution: Black Friday iNK Stories iNK Stories April 5, 2016 OS X & Windows 1.0 "He Who Kills My Brother" 1979 Revolution: Black Friday iNK Stories iNK Stories April 5, 2016 OS X & Windows 1.0 Credits http://www.us-iran.org/news/2016/9/8/iran-chat-interview-with-navid-khonsari-developer-of-the-game-1979-revolution-black-friday Iran Chat: Interview with Navid Khonsari, Developer of the Game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday American Iranian Council October 2, 2016 September 21, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20161009023010/http://www.us-iran.org/news/2016/9/8/iran-chat-interview-with-navid-khonsari-developer-of-the-game-1979-revolution-black-friday October 9, 2016 live mdy-all https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/14/1979-revolution-lands-on-android/ '1979 Revolution' lands on Android Conditt Jessica Engadget AOL December 14, 2016 December 23, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161223055712/https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/14/1979-revolution-lands-on-android/ December 23, 2016 live http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-tuesday-april-5-2016-1.3521056/want-to-live-through-the-iranian-revolution-there-s-a-game-for-that-1.3521098 Want to live through the Iranian Revolution? There's a game for that Kabango Shadrach CBC Radio Canadian Broadcasting Corporation April 5, 2016 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160510064802/http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-tuesday-april-5-2016-1.3521056/want-to-live-through-the-iranian-revolution-there-s-a-game-for-that-1.3521098 May 10, 2016 live mdy http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-11/tech/grand.theft.auto.iran_1_iranian-nuclear-program-iran-revolution-mahmoud-ahmadinejad?_s=PM:TECH 'Grand Theft Auto' director's next game explores 1979 Iran revolution Saba Michael CNN Turner Broadcasting System August 11, 2011 April 24, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20110813064906/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-11/tech/grand.theft.auto.iran_1_iranian-nuclear-program-iran-revolution-mahmoud-ahmadinejad?_s=PM%3ATECH August 13, 2011 dead http://docubase.mit.edu/lab/interviews/interview-with-navid-vassiliki-khonsari/ Interview with Navid & Vassiliki Khonsari Tortum Deniz Docubase Massachusetts Institute of Technology March 20, 2015 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161026174107/http://docubase.mit.edu/lab/interviews/interview-with-navid-vassiliki-khonsari/ October 26, 2016 live mdy https://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/1979-the-game/ Former Rockstar cutscene director working on '1979: The Game,' about Iran Revolution Ransom-Wiley James Engadget AOL February 2, 2011 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160408112724/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/1979-the-game/ April 8, 2016 live mdy https://www.engadget.com/2013/12/18/1979-revolution-black-friday-falls-short-of-fundraising-goal/ 1979 Revolution: Black Friday falls short of fundraising goal Cavalli Earnest Engadget AOL December 18, 2013 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20151130130338/http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/18/1979-revolution-black-friday-falls-short-of-fundraising-goal/ November 30, 2015 live mdy https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/26/how-a-former-rockstar-developer-is-leading-a-revolution-in-gaming/ How a former Rockstar developer is leading a revolution in gaming Volpe Joseph Engadget AOL January 26, 2015 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160426165215/http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/26/how-a-former-rockstar-developer-is-leading-a-revolution-in-gaming/ April 26, 2016 live mdy https://www.engadget.com/2013/11/20/1979-revolution-shakes-down-to-pc-mac-and-android/ 1979 Revolution shakes down to PC, Mac and Android Suszek Mike Engadget AOL November 20, 2013 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160806170910/https://www.engadget.com/2013/11/20/1979-revolution-shakes-down-to-pc-mac-and-android/ August 6, 2016 live mdy https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/how-i-1979-revolution-black-friday-i-drops-players-into-a-real-crisis How 1979 Revolution: Black Friday drops players into a real crisis Lufkin Bryan Gamasutra UBM plc April 11, 2016 April 24, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160423080246/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/269815/How_1979_Revolution_Black_Friday_drops_players_into_a_real_crisis.php April 23, 2016 live mdy https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/our-10-favorite-indie-games-at-pax-west/2900-877/ Our 10 Favorite Indie Games at PAX West GameSpot CBS Interactive September 2, 2016 May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20160904194334/https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/our-10-favorite-indie-games-at-pax-west/2900-877/ September 4, 2016 live http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/07/16/1979-revolution-is-greenlit/ 1979 Revolution is Greenlit! Butin Sam iNK Stories July 16, 2015 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160414195325/http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/07/16/1979-revolution-is-greenlit/ April 14, 2016 dead mdy https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/09/1979-revolution-video-game-documentary-launch Haunted by the past: the man behind 1979 Revolution Roberts Nina The Guardian November 10, 2014 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160414050536/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/09/1979-revolution-video-game-documentary-launch April 14, 2016 live mdy http://www.ibtimes.com/why-1979-revolution-creators-built-game-based-iranian-revolution-2358632 Why '1979 Revolution' Creators Built A Game Based On Iranian Revolution Flynn Kerry International Business Times IBT Media April 24, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160425105723/http://www.ibtimes.com/why-1979-revolution-creators-built-game-based-iranian-revolution-2358632 April 25, 2016 live mdy http://independent-magazine.org/2015/05/10-to-watch-2015-navid-and-vassiliki-khonsari/ 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2015: Navid Khonsari and Vassiliki Khonsari Pierotti David The Independent Independent Media Publications May 7, 2015 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160506224135/http://independent-magazine.org/2015/05/10-to-watch-2015-navid-and-vassiliki-khonsari/ May 6, 2016 live mdy https://www.indiewire.com/2015/05/the-look-of-silence-to-open-sheffield-docfest-62288/ 'The Look of Silence' to Open Sheffield Doc/Fest Leonsis Elle IndieWire Penske Media Corporation May 7, 2015 May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20190412003546/https://www.indiewire.com/2015/05/the-look-of-silence-to-open-sheffield-docfest-62288/ April 12, 2019 live http://inkstories.com/news-feed/2016/6/10/1979-revolution-launches-on-ios 1979 Revolution Launches on iOS! Perez-Duarte Andres iNK Stories June 10, 2016 June 17, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160620063048/http://inkstories.com/news-feed/2016/6/10/1979-revolution-launches-on-ios June 20, 2016 dead mdy https://killscreen.com/articles/turning-iranian-revolution-heartfelt-videogame/ Turning the 1979 Iranian revolution into a heartfelt videogame Joho Jess Kill Screen August 13, 2015 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161104101100/https://killscreen.com/articles/turning-iranian-revolution-heartfelt-videogame/ November 4, 2016 live mdy http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/04/29/motion-capture-revolution-part-one/ Motion Capture Revolution (Part One) Butin Sam iNK Stories April 29, 2013 May 2, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160402064933/http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/04/29/motion-capture-revolution-part-one/ April 2, 2016 dead mdy http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/07/16/the-making-of-the-revolution-coming-soon/ The Making of the Revolution: Coming Soon! Butin Sam iNK Stories July 16, 2016 May 2, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160601070721/http://inkstories.com/1979RevolutionGame/blog/2015/07/16/the-making-of-the-revolution-coming-soon/ June 1, 2016 dead mdy http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-truly-revolutionary-video-game A Truly Revolutionary Video Game Parkin Simon The New Yorker Condé Nast December 11, 2013 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160507075229/http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-truly-revolutionary-video-game May 7, 2016 live mdy https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/12/13/250737898/game-director-shifts-from-grand-theft-auto-to-iranian-revolution Game Director Shifts From 'Grand Theft Auto' To Iranian Revolution Yu Alan NPR December 13, 2013 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160426022513/http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/12/13/250737898/game-director-shifts-from-grand-theft-auto-to-iranian-revolution April 26, 2016 live mdy https://www.npr.org/2016/04/20/474935464/already-a-movie-topic-iran-s-resolution-is-a-video-game Already A Movie Topic, Iran's Revolution Is Now A Video Game Montagne Renee NPR April 20, 2016 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160423181435/http://www.npr.org/2016/04/20/474935464/already-a-movie-topic-iran-s-resolution-is-a-video-game April 23, 2016 live mdy https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/26/5245848/1979-revolution-developer-relaunches-crowdfunding-campaign-on-its-own 1979 Revolution developer relaunches crowdfunding campaign on its own website Lien Tracey Polygon Vox Media December 26, 2013 May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20131230095955/https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/26/5245848/1979-revolution-developer-relaunches-crowdfunding-campaign-on-its-own December 30, 2013 live https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/18/black-friday-revolution-1979-console-port-release-date/ 'Black Friday: Revolution 1979' is coming to consoles starting July 31st Seppala Timothy J. Engadget AOL July 18, 2018 July 19, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180719120055/https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/18/black-friday-revolution-1979-console-port-release-date/ July 19, 2018 live mdy-all https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/08/blindfold_is_the_psvr_companion_piece_to_1979_revolution_black_friday_coming_next_month Blindfold Is the PSVR Companion Piece to 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, Coming Next Month Croft Liam Push Square Gamer Network August 23, 2019 February 8, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20190822193120/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/08/blindfold_is_the_psvr_companion_piece_to_1979_revolution_black_friday_coming_next_month August 22, 2019 live https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4fvbhg/im_navid_khonsari_creator_of_the_game_1979/d2cawf5 InkStories comments on I'm Navid Khonsari, creator of the game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday which was just banned by the Iranian Government. Previously I worked on GTA, Max Payne, & Alan Wake. AMA! Khonsari Navid Navid Khonsari Reddit April 21, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20220523090522/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4fvbhg/im_navid_khonsari_creator_of_the_game_1979/d2cawf5/ May 23, 2022 live Our resources were comprised y of 40+ interviews, multiple documentaries and films from sources all around the world. Michel Setboun the photo journalist who was in Iran at the time plus multiple journals, documents and books from with in Iran mdy https://reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4fvbhg/im_navid_khonsari_creator_of_the_game_1979/d2cbq5v InkStories comments on I'm Navid Khonsari, creator of the game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday which was just banned by the Iranian Government. Previously I worked on GTA, Max Payne, & Alan Wake. AMA! Khonsari Navid Navid Khonsari Reddit April 21, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161107124648/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4fvbhg/im_navid_khonsari_creator_of_the_game_1979/d2cbq5v/ November 7, 2016 live If 1979 is $$$ successful then I hope we can do a sequel – we have so many more stories and material we want to share. Having said that it's not episodic – we aimed to tell the story of Black Friday and provide a deep understanding of what took place as this was the pivotal moment of the revolution. mdy https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/05/1979-revolution-black-friday-release/ Tales Of Tehran: 1979 Revolution – Black Friday Out Now Smith Adam Rock Paper Shotgun April 5, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160417163506/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/05/1979-revolution-black-friday-release/ April 17, 2016 live mdy iNK Stories @1979theGame 719607297056616448 April 12, 2016 #1979thegame isn't episodic, but the characters have more stories to tell! 1979's future depends on the support of our fans! #spreadtheword April 25, 2016 https://www.webcitation.org/6h1EiWFaj?url=https://twitter.com/1979theGame/status/719607297056616448 April 24, 2016 live https://www.vice.com/en/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution/ A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution Vice News Vice Media April 6, 2016 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160406205827/https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution April 6, 2016 live https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/21/1979-revolution-tells-the-story-of-the-iranian-revolution-in-video-game-form/ '1979 Revolution' tells the story of the Iranian Revolution in video game form Byrd Christopher The Washington Post April 21, 2016 February 28, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20160615055649/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/04/21/1979-revolution-tells-the-story-of-the-iranian-revolution-in-video-game-form/ June 15, 2016 live https://www.metacritic.com/game/1979-revolution-black-friday/ 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Metacritic Fandom, Inc. September 25, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230925000707/https://www.metacritic.com/game/1979-revolution-black-friday/ September 25, 2023 live https://opencritic.com/game/2467/1979-revolution-black-friday 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Reviews OpenCritic July 30, 2018 September 25, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230925000747/https://opencritic.com/game/2467/1979-revolution-black-friday September 25, 2023 live http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-06-1979-revolution-review 1979 Revolution review Matulef Jeffrey Eurogamer Gamer Network April 11, 2016 April 20, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160420222556/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-06-1979-revolution-review April 20, 2016 live mdy https://www.gameinformer.com/games/1979_revolution_black_friday/b/pc/archive/2016/06/01/a-compelling-and-unique-historical-thriller.aspx A Compelling And Unique Historical Thriller Gwaltney Javy Game Informer GameStop June 1, 2016 June 17, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160616094435/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/1979_revolution_black_friday/b/pc/archive/2016/06/01/a-compelling-and-unique-historical-thriller.aspx June 16, 2016 live mdy http://www.gameplanet.com.au/pc/reviews/g571edf58b40eb/1979-Revolution-Black-Friday-review/ 1979 Revolution: Black Friday review Todd Andrew Gameplanet April 26, 2016 April 26, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160429180956/http://www.gameplanet.com.au/pc/reviews/g571edf58b40eb/1979-Revolution-Black-Friday-review/ April 29, 2016 live mdy http://ign.com/articles/2016/04/21/1979-revolution-black-friday-review 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Review Rad Chloi IGN Ziff Davis April 21, 2016 April 24, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160422153145/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/21/1979-revolution-black-friday-review April 22, 2016 live https://killscreen.com/articles/1979-revolution-is-a-history-lesson-for-the-netflix-generation/ 1979 Revolution is a history lesson for the Netflix generation Kriss Alexander Kill Screen August 13, 2015 April 20, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161104101032/https://killscreen.com/articles/1979-revolution-is-a-history-lesson-for-the-netflix-generation/ November 4, 2016 live mdy https://kotaku.com/1979-revolution-black-friday-the-kotaku-review-1769147892 1979 Revolution: Black Friday: The Kotaku Review Narcisse Evan Kotaku Gawker Media April 5, 2016 April 20, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160420200109/http://kotaku.com/1979-revolution-black-friday-the-kotaku-review-1769147892 April 20, 2016 live mdy https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/09/bafta-games-awards-2017-inside-and-uncharted-4-lead-the-way Bafta games awards 2017: Inside and Uncharted 4 lead the way Webber Jordan Erica The Guardian March 9, 2017 March 10, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170310140739/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/09/bafta-games-awards-2017-inside-and-uncharted-4-lead-the-way March 10, 2017 live http://www.gamespot.com/articles/overwatch-wins-dice-game-of-the-year-all-winners-r/1100-6448157/ Overwatch Wins DICE Game of the Year; All Winners Revealed [UPDATED] Makuch Eddie Imms Jason GameSpot CBS Interactive February 24, 2017 February 26, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170226080929/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/overwatch-wins-dice-game-of-the-year-all-winners-r/1100-6448157/ February 26, 2017 live http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2016/09/the-100-canonical-games-40-31.html The 100 canonical games: 40-31 Sainsbury Matt Digitally Downloaded September 13, 2016 February 28, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20170411063823/http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2016/09/the-100-canonical-games-40-31.html April 11, 2017 live https://gamerant.com/best-games-inspired-real-life-stories/ The 10 Best Games Inspired By Real-Life Stories Petrovich Erik Game Rant Valnet June 5, 2021 February 28, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20210807192412/https://gamerant.com/best-games-inspired-real-life-stories/ August 7, 2021 live http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-01-02-1979-revolution-black-friday-wins-facebook-game-of-the-year 1979 Revolution: Black Friday wins Facebook Game of the Year Batchelor James Gamesindustry.biz Gamer Network January 2, 2018 January 21, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180106210733/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-01-02-1979-revolution-black-friday-wins-facebook-game-of-the-year January 6, 2018 live http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-the-2016-game-awards-nominees/1100-6445481/ All the 2016 Game Awards Nominees Makuch Eddie GameSpot CBS Interactive November 16, 2016 November 21, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20170118191246/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-the-2016-game-awards-nominees/1100-6445481/ January 18, 2017 live http://www.gamespot.com/articles/overwatch-wins-game-of-the-year-full-list-of-gdca-/1100-6448326/ Overwatch Wins Game Of The Year; Full List Of GDCA And IGFA Winners Here [UPDATE] Makuch Eddie Imms Jason GameSpot CBS Interactive March 1, 2017 March 2, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170302061459/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/overwatch-wins-game-of-the-year-full-list-of-gdca-/1100-6448326/ March 2, 2017 live http://ign.com/wikis/best-of-2016-awards/Best_Adventure_Game Best Adventure Game January 7, 2017 January 13, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20161224134352/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2016-awards/Best_Adventure_Game December 24, 2016 live https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/14/best-of-e3-2016-awards Best of E3 2016 Awards Davis Justin IGN Ziff Davis June 15, 2016 May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20160614193249/https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/14/best-of-e3-2016-awards June 14, 2016 live http://ign.com/wikis/best-of-2016-awards/Best_Story Best Story - Best of 2016 Awards IGN Ziff Davis January 7, 2017 January 8, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20161221134018/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2016-awards/Best_Story December 21, 2016 live https://www.imgawards.com/games/1979-revolution-cinematic-adventure-game/ 1979 Revolution: Black Friday International Mobile Gaming Awards May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210304060851/https://www.imgawards.com/games/1979-revolution-cinematic-adventure-game/ March 4, 2021 live https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/indiecade-announces-list-of-2016-award-winners IndieCade announces list of 2016 award winners McAloon Alissa Gamasutra UBM plc October 17, 2016 May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20161019133034/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/283495/IndieCade_announces_list_of_2016_award_winners.php October 19, 2016 live https://nygamecritics.com/2017/01/07/nominees-2017-new-york-game-awards/ Nominees! 2017 New York Game Awards! The New York Videogame Critics Circle January 7, 2017 January 22, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20181119132519/https://nygamecritics.com/2017/01/07/nominees-2017-new-york-game-awards/ November 19, 2018 live https://www.bpb.de/lernen/games/gzpb/546586/1979-revolution-black-friday/ 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Games zur politischen Bildung de 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Games for political education Zart Alexander Federal Agency for Civic Education May 9, 2022 November 9, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250328152112/https://www.bpb.de/lernen/games/gzpb/546586/1979-revolution-black-friday/ March 28, 2025 live https://www.foxnews.com/tech/video-game-depicts-irans-1979-revolution-angers-tehran Video game depicts Iran's 1979 revolution, angers Tehran Chiaramonte Perry Fox News Fox Entertainment Group April 10, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160425120016/http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/04/10/video-game-depicts-irans-1979-revolution-angers-tehran.html April 25, 2016 live mdy https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/13/iran-1979-revolution-video-game-kickstarter Frag-counter revolutionaries: Iran 1979 revolution-based video game to launch Holpuch Amanda The Guardian November 14, 2013 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062856/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/13/iran-1979-revolution-video-game-kickstarter March 4, 2016 dead mdy https://kotaku.com/when-you-have-to-hide-your-identity-to-make-a-video-gam-1513466093 When You Have to Hide Your Identity to Make a Video Game Narcisse Evan Kotaku Gawker Media February 2, 2014 May 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160510233645/http://kotaku.com/when-you-have-to-hide-your-identity-to-make-a-video-gam-1513466093 May 10, 2016 live mdy https://kotaku.com/this-man-s-making-a-game-about-his-native-iran-so-of-5921067 This Man's Making a Game About His Native Iran. So, Of Course, They Branded Him a Spy. Narcisse Evan Kotaku Gawker Media June 25, 2012 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160501094655/http://kotaku.com/5921067/this-mans-making-a-game-about-his-native-iran-so-of-course-they-branded-him-a-spy May 1, 2016 live mdy http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/25/3544758/game-development-in-the-middle-east The stressful life of Middle Eastern game developers and reality of their craft Lien Tracey Polygon Vox Media October 25, 2012 May 5, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160419145724/http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/25/3544758/game-development-in-the-middle-east April 19, 2016 live mdy https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/1/24/14364864/unesco-video-games-report Here's why the UN is getting interested in video games Campbell Colin Polygon Vox Media January 24, 2017 February 8, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20170125152646/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/1/24/14364864/unesco-video-games-report January 25, 2017 live http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/300689/Iran-plans-to-block-websites-offering-1979-Revolution Iran plans to block websites offering "1979 Revolution" Tehran Times April 17, 2016 April 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160420163734/http://tehrantimes.com/news/300689/Iran-plans-to-block-websites-offering-1979-Revolution April 20, 2016 live mdy https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000259928 Empathy, Perspective and Complicity: How Digital Games can Support Peace Education and Conflict Resolution Darvasi Paul Working Paper 3 November 2016 September 21, 2017 UNESCO https://web.archive.org/web/20200613214353/https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000259928 June 13, 2020 live CID: 20.500.12592/zgmsbww External links Video games Category:2016 video games Category:Adventure games Category:Android (operating system) games Category:IndieCade winners Category:Interactive movie video games Category:IOS games Category:MacOS games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:Political video games Category:Single-player video games Category:Video games about journalism Category:Video games based on actual events Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Video games set in 1978 Category:Video games set in 1979 Category:Video games set in Iran Category:Windows games Category:Works about the Iranian Revolution Category:Xbox One games