The Escapist has a great article that matches nicely with what I was writing about last week about gaming and how it is all about moderation. While this article isn’t about moderation in playing, it’s examining how good games are good games, regardless of their cladding (sound and video). It’s looking at how games that are “just little somethings” are getting bigger than the massive productions.
Of the many things that this might point to, in addition to the implications that it might have for how to teach with games; it suggests that quick fixes are effective and addictive (good and bad there), it’s a behaviour:
“Casual gaming is not a demographic, it’s a behavior,” he says. “Very few people just go to movies and refuse to watch television, or vice versa. Hardcore gamers are just really enthusiastic gamers; they play everything, including the light casual games. They may be less likely to buy them, but they play the heck out of them.”
“A fun game is a fun game, no matter how you look at it,” adds Seabury. “There are countless examples of this … Tetris, Pac-Man, Geometry Wars, Wii Sports. Fundamentally, both audiences look for the same things: accessible fun that turns into engaging depth over time, something that feels rewarding for the time invested. In another domain, all Pixar movies could be classified as for kids, but they’re layered with superior technical execution, adult innuendo and cinematic excellence. They succeed in creating entertainment that satisfies almost every demographic, and there’s no reason games can’t do this, too.”
I’m finding that I’m changing into a casual gamer -Brain Age, Poker, Wii Sports and Guitar Hero are games that I’m looking forward to playing when I get the chance. Even though I have gotten really far in other games like NeverWinter Nights, I don’t think I can make that kind of investment anymore. But I know that I can take 20 minutes for three holes of golf or 10 minutes for a couple of songs or 5 minutes for a few hands.
If we can chunk instruction into analogous bits, I think we might be able to really get into the heads of students who are struggling with content. I think this needs to be more than flashcards, and perhaps a little bit more than small sims/virtual labs but something along those lines – something that can deliver an independent chunk of information that a competent student should be able to knit together with other bits added at other times. It might take some work to get lectures to support this idea, but I think it’s possible… if there is time and care on the part of everyone involved… and that is the real challenge…
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