As a gamer – to some extent, not entirely, but enough – you're master of your own fate, and when you're not, you can find help. You're not only in an environment, you're in an experience too – one that changes as you work and conquer problems and keep getting better. So it's progressive but self-paced – but also social, so less boring than purely self-paced. There are rules, but they're like … [Read more...] about Why videogames are good for learners
videogames
Can this be played in school? Please?
I'm asking you, educators. EVOKE sounded amazing, when I heard it described by game designer Jane McGonigal on NPR's Science Friday the other day. The goal of this free social game is to "help empower people all over the world to develop creative solutions to urgent social problems" – beyond "mere" civic engagement to social problem-solving. Of course EVOKE isn't the only social-media teaching … [Read more...] about Can this be played in school? Please?
Today’s engine of innovation: Videogames, not military
Remember the military-industrial complex? Now it's the entertainment-industrial complex. For centuries the military drove tech innovation; now videogaming does, according to a Wall Street Journal commentary by author and former hedge-fund manager Andy Kessler. "That's right – every time someone fires up a videogame like Call of Duty or World of Warcraft, the state of the art in technology … [Read more...] about Today’s engine of innovation: Videogames, not military
3DS not good for little ones’ eyes
In an extraordinary move, Nintendo issued a warning to parents that children under age 6 should not use the 3D features of its new gaming device, InformationWeek reports, and everyone else should take breaks from it every 30 minutes, Nintendo says. "The 3DS does not require special glasses to view three-dimensional images," which is why it's not just a matter of taking some glasses off. The 3DS … [Read more...] about 3DS not good for little ones’ eyes
Kinect for Xbox 360: Signs it’s a holiday hit
Looks like Kinect for the Xbox 360 videogame console is one of the hot items of this year's holiday shopping season. The maker of the motion-sending, controller-free gaming product (where the gamer's the controller), Microsoft, says it's scrambling to keep up with demand, having sold 2.5 million units worldwide in Kinect's first 25 days, the Christian Science Monitor reports. To see if this makes … [Read more...] about Kinect for Xbox 360: Signs it’s a holiday hit