Positive Games & Game Research

I found a wonderful article about video games called “Beyond a Fad: Why Video Games Should Be Part of 21st Century Libraries” by Kym Buchanan and Angela M. Vanden Elzen. These authors explain that because video games are visual, interactive, and based on simulations, they require and reward some traditional and new literacies, and they provide immersion, challenge, and connection for players. They also offer examples for how librarians can integrate video games into their collections and programming. The first game they recommend is September 12th from newsgaming.com (http://www.newsgaming.com/newsgames.htm), published in 2003, which is a free, browser-based game. In this game, the player is challenged to evaluate the war on terror and their assumptions about the roots of terrorism. Buchanan and Elzen write, “A well-written newspaper editorial or a striking photograph can impact an audience, yet interactive media like games frame a different kind of relationship between author and reader.”

The second game Buchanan and Elzen recommend is Beyond Good and Evil (BG&E) from Ubisoft, published in 2003. Its updated version can be purchased online for Xbox 360 and PlayStation3. It is another game that tries to “provoke thinking about post-9/11 issues, including patriotism, paranoia, and the role of dissent in a democracy (e.g., challenging government decisions).” The player takes on the identity of Jade, a female Hispanic photojournalist who is, at alternate times, a member of the underground resistance movement, a foster care parent to war orphans, and a conservationist. “BG&E uses allegory to express messages about civil disobedience and the watchdog role of journalists.” The authors go on to explain, “gameplay can involve analyzing systems, managing multiple resources, and applying complex strategies…[and] the story in a modern video game can rival a novel in depth and length.” Many video games adjust to the player, are self-paced, and offer immediate feedback. According to Buchanan and Elzen, players are more willing to engage in “Trying Trio” behaviors: admitting ignorance, taking risks, and making mistakes.

Some useful websites are:
www.gamerankings.com
www.co-optimus.com
www.gamespot.com
www.educationarcade.org
www.gamasutra.com/topic/serious

Some respected publishers of educational games are:
Firaxis
Muzzy Lane
Leapfrog

Some online games that could be used to integrate the curriculum in schools are:
World of Warcraft (from Blizzard Entertainment)
RuneScape (published by Jagex Games Studio)
Second Life (developed by Linden Lab)

These games even draw players from other countries, so students in a foreign language course could play and converse in the language they’re studying.

Games I would recommend are:
Quandary-won Game of the Year Honors at the 2013 Games for Change Conference. It is a free online game where players aged 8-14 shape the future of a new society while learning how to recognize ethical issues and deal with challenging situations in their own lives.

Radix Endeavor from The Education Arcade. It invites players to wander an Earth-like renaissance world, where knowledge is hoarded by an evil leader, and problems can only be solved by reconstructing useful and important ideas in math and science. It was developed with a $3 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in January 2012.

And I have to recommend a classic: Oregon Trail. This game was produced decades ago, and designed to teach about, well, life on the Oregon Trail. There have been many editions produced since, including for Windows, Wii, Android, and Windows phones. I also found the official website for this game from The Learning Company at www.oregontrail.com.

Buchanan, K., & Elzen, A. M. (2012). Beyond a Fad: Why Video Games Should Be Part of 21st Century Libraries. Education Libraries, 15-33.