Today I watched a TED talk about where we have come and where we may be going with video games. The purpose of the talk wasn’t directly connected to using games in education. It was more about how the video game industry has developed exponentially–in profits, users, and, most importantly, in innovation. If the video game industry continues on a similar trajectory, where could they take us in years to come? The graphics alone have become so life-like that they are almost even more beautiful than what we see in real life.
While I am awed by the potential of video games, I also carry a deep concern over the direction video games have taken. Seeing the history of war and fighting video games in this talk stirred fear over what’s next. I personally do not think it’s a benefit for children or adults to participate in realistic killing “games”. That’s just one negative story line video games have latched on to. What will they choose to capitalize on next?
With the current emphasis on using games in education, the optimist in me hopes the video-game industry uses their creativity, innovation and stunning, realistic graphics to create games that inspire learning while teaching the benefits of collaboration and communication.
Sharon Vogt: EDTECH Learning Log 