Game is not just a game.

What is your first feeling of playing online-game?

Many people often think that wasting time and money in a virtual world is meaningless. ‘Can you earn money by playing game?’ This is what my mum always says.

No matter what is your opinion, I recommend you to watch the following video. It may give you some new ideas.

Jane McGonigal: Game Change The World

 (at 16:05)

Powerful Platform of Change

In 'World Without Oil' game test, most of participators keep their habits what are learnt from the game and good for the Earth. This situation shows game not only provide entertainment function, but also is a powerful learning tool.

     

When we are child and study in kindergarten, games used to be a teaching tool to help student catch the knowledge more easily. Not only human being, but also animals learn skill from game. For example, lion cubs will play together for practice the hurting skills. However, when we growth up, game just became a type of entertainments. ‘Playing game is not good for study’ this is most parents’ opinion. What is the problem?

Some students are addicted to playing game because they get more joy and success from game than the real lives and then they ignored their study. On the other hand, we learnt something from game is true but the something cannot increase our result. These are the problems why parents think game is useless.

I agree with Jane McGonigal. Game is a powerful platform of change because of its influence. Game provides joy and success to encourage player play game again and again. It is an advantage.

Why play game?

Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) is a common learning styles model. The theory classifies people into 3 types: visual leaner, auditory leaner and kinesthetic leaner. People will good at one receiving style.

A lot of game can provide information with visual, auditory and kinesthetic at the same time. For instance, dance game provide signal of rhythm on screen and music. You need to follow the rhythm to move your body. You may increase your dance ability by playing it. Game can create a safe virtual-environment with VAK which is very attractive. Although the VAK theory mention that 1 or 2 (not 3) of these receiving styles is normally dominant. However, I believe that human being can easily receive message by multi-sensation and have a profound experience. At least, it is true for me.

Gary