Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes Anyone else see the irony in the fact that violence and video games prompts so much anger? This ‘debate’ (I hesitate to call it a debate because that implies civility, and we don’t really seem to have that here.) has been raging … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minute Last year I was invited to do an interview for a local TV station. I know this isn’t a big deal for many of my game colleagues, but I don’t get on TV very often so for me it’s kind … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes Put simply, the Proteus Effect happens when an avatar behaves in line with the stereotype suggested by the appearance of that avatar. In other words players behave in the ways the appearance of their avatar suggests they should. How realistic does an avatar … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes I don’t like fighting. As a result, there are a whole pile of video games that I don’t really like playing. I’ve always thought of shooters and fighting games as the low-hanging fruit of game design. It’s fairly easy to … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minute No. Too much choice often interferes with learning; just like creating a simulated environment that is too real becomes counter-productive, especially with novices. Giving the learner too many things to think about too soon makes it much harder for them … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the great things about games is their potential for delivering just-in-time instruction. Most games require some sort of user assistance, whether it be instructions, in-game tutorials, or a help system. Many games integrate help and tutorial information into the gameplay … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minute Many people in Education seem to believe that fun and education are at odds with each other. Some years ago I did a survey with public school teachers to see if they were using games in school, and if not, … Continue reading
Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes In my upcoming book I talk about the importance of teacher support for educational games. It is the 3rd pillar in my 4PEG model. In order to gain acceptance in a traditional classroom, GBL ‘objects’ need to be “canned”, meaning they need to … Continue reading