"Computer Games that teach us something"

[LaughingCrazy]

Hey, Escapist Forums!

Sorry, I'm pretty new here... (Long time reader, first time poster.) I've read the magazine for years but I haven't dabbled in the forums before. So hi!

Anyways, I wanted to ask a question... I have a presentation coming up in a couple of days for an elective I'm taking in college. The presentation topic I chose was "Computer Games that teach us something". I was hoping to not go the lame edu-tainment route... so I'm asking this community (that I feel is one of intellectual and thoughtful gamers, mostly) if there are any suggestions out there for games that I could provide as examples in my presentation.

I've already looked into last week's article "Hard Wired for Gaming" as I think it is an excellent example of how games can provide a learning experience... I was also thinking about showing Crayon Physics Deluxe as part of the presentation.

I'm sorry if it's not appropriate to ask something of the community when I am not really established in it... but I'd really appreciate some suggestions! Thanks!

 

[Lukeje]

Broken Sword taught me about the history of the Templars (and why Friday 13[sup]th[/sup] is deemed unlucky). Does that count?

Of course there's always Civilization...

 

[curlycrouton]

I have but two words:

Research Bioshock.

 

[RGanB]

FarCry2 teaches us about politics in africa and weapon smuggling (plus you learn how to unjam a host of weapons)
The X sries from X2 onwards teaches about open market economy (in a simplistic fashion)
pontifex and all bridgebuilding varietys teach physics (weight stress) as does world of goo
some rts games teach history

 

[pigeon_of_doom]

The original Metal Gear Solid for a sermon on nuclear weapons?
Broken Sword has a lot of interesting information too, although both games aren't strictly factual. Broken Swords explanation of Friday the 13ths reputation is false apparently.

Struggling to think of others that explicitly convey a decent amount of information. Bioshock is a fantastic recreation of a Randian world gone wrong, but I don't think it teaches enough by itself.

 

[Puppeteer Putin]

Daniel Lloyd does a good summary of education in games:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN0qRKjfX3s&feature=channel_page

or the article:

http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/the-power-tangential-learning

His primary point revolves refers to the use of tangential learning. Rather than shoe-horning game mechanics into an training program, the game refers to real world event and history or drops hints through the narrative, facilitating discussion and curiosity. I'll let him explain.

Any specific game? There are obvious choices for like Company of Heroes, Sid Mier's Civilization of any one of his sims, Democracy.. I'll think of more when it's not the early hours of the morning.

 

[warpenguin]

I had to finally create an account for this topic.

You should check out filament games http://www.filamentgames.com/ .They are a gaming company that specializes in educational games. They did a talk at our IGDA meeting and it was recorded http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5943424535222524105&hl=en

One very controversial game you could use is super columbine massacre rpg. From the name you can guess what its about and why its controversial, but its a surprisingly well done game and does a very good job of trying to make sense of what happened on that tragic day.

 

[iain62a]

Of course there's always Civilization...

I wouldn't know half of the things I know today about irrigation and the Great Wall of China without Civilisation.

Planescape: Torment taught me about how events can change the nature of a person.

 

[Lukeje]

Broken Sword has a lot of interesting information too, although both games aren't strictly factual. Broken Swords explanation of Friday the 13ths reputation is false apparently.

That's just what the Templars want you to think!

 

[TheMatt]

Civilization - Teaches you a HELL of a lot, most useful and accurate but occasionally it likes to teach you that a guy with a sword can kill a tank given the right circumstances.

Romance of the III and Dynasty Warriors - a whack of Chinese history - Say it with me ppl - "You should not face LU BU"

WOW - if you are at all interested in economics you can go on about the AH for hours. it is a real-time, constantly evolving, perfect analogue for real life supply and demand.

 

[SeniorDingDong]

Red Baron II and the Panzer General series taught me alot about World Ware I & II

Both had awesome no more to be seen today manuals.

 

[Lukeje]

Both had awesome no more to be seen today manuals.

Ooh, on the topic of manuals; Fallout had an awesome manual with a lot of information on nuclear fallout etc.

 

[LaughingCrazy]

Thanks so much for your suggestions! Any more would be appreciated.

So I'm definitely going to mention Civilization, as it has been mentioned several times in the topic. I suppose many RTS games would be good for teaching though. I think I'll also try to work in the Auction House system in WOW. Also I just totally realized anything from the "Sim-" series, especially SimCity, would be a pretty good bet as a game that teaches you things...

Now for a bit of a challenge... can anyone think of anything a little more mainstream? Any blockbuster games, and possibly an example of how they teach?

I can think of how Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time helped develop my great sense of direction and 3D space as some examples... but I don't know if that would apply to just anyone, as I have some friends who are absolutely terrible with direction in 3D games. Thoughts?

 

[Seydaman]

after i played assassins creed i did a project on the crusaders, and another one on the hashishin (spelling)

 

[runtheplacered]

I actually am doing a research paper for my college English class on this very topic, which is due in a couple of weeks. It's crossed my mind to post it here once I've completed it.

When I told my 80 year old teacher what my topic was going to be, I got a blank speechless stare. It reminded me of just how big the stigma is that video games are used for play and play only. It's going to be an interesting task to persuade somebody of the learning benefits of games when he's probably never played a video game in his life.

 

[barryween]

I am serious, FO 3 taught me how hard it is to make moral choices and the effects they may have later on.

 

[bitzi61]

Battlefield 1945 (43? Frick I forget!)

Between every single mission you got to see why it was so importaint from the side you were playing as. So if you play through as both the axis, and the allies, then you have a good 'general' view of World War 2

 

[Valiance]

Oregon Trail. ;P

Depends what you want taught, really. Does it count that I learned perseverance from Starcraft/Unreal Tournament?

Does it count that I pay more attention to detail after playing Ikaruga?

GITAR HERO TAUT ME HOW 2 PLY GITARLOLOLL

Alright, well, in all honesty, like you said, Civilization is great.

I'm trying to think of one of the first games that got me interested in actual martial-arts techniques, but I'm sure you'd find something if you looked for any generic fighting game.

3D space realization, that's there. Economy, Yeah, use WoW since it's popular enough, I suppose.

Does critical thinking/tactics count? I'd say M.A.X. was a very good game for that.
Hand-eye coordination? Reaction speed? Pretty much any fast paced game.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean.

Actual history?

Hell, any civil war game?

 

[Draygen]

"Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30" had a lot of its gameplay taken straight from the journals and photographs of real soldiers in the field. Gearbox also did some painstaking research by going out to the locations of many of the battles and making sure they had the layout of the landscape as close to accurate as possible. It practically qualifies as a "Documentary-Game" rather than a "Video Game".