Discussion Forums > Gaming
~ Is it possible to make games useful to society?
mgz:
--- Quote from: Carnivus on March 22, 2010, 05:00:05 PM ---
--- Quote from: logos on March 22, 2010, 03:22:40 AM ---
--- Quote from: Carnivus on March 21, 2010, 09:21:25 PM ---@Daggerlite
I see teaching English to non-native speakers in this way as a good thing for society. Since when learning the most spoken languange on Earth isn't helping a society grow in a lot of ways?
As I previously said, check out the Total War or Call of Duty series. I learn a lot from them.
And when video games become purely educational, or close to that, they can't really be called video games.
--- End quote ---
...mandarin(chinese) is the most spoken language on earth
--- End quote ---
...which is spoken only in China.
English is spoken all around the world.
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large portions of countries that natively speak languages that are not english, teach and speak english
PithyGriff:
There are some basic things I dislike about these arguments, because the way people go about making games 'useful' is just fucking backwards. Useful games don't have to be educational games, or somehow instructive.
Video games are an art, they're a different media like novels, film, television, stage. The reason these arguments come about is because people automatically think that video games are exclusively a benign or malignant force. That thinking is broken. Truth: If video games are useless, so are books.
The reality is that the novel is in decline. Fewer and fewer people want to read books. I say this like a Lit major, but I mean/feel it as a writer.
Writers need to rethink books if they want an audience/dinner. Or move to different media. Personally I think video games are the most promising. GTA isn't going to strictly make you a better person, but it will make you think differently. Just like any good book. The next step is for more serious writers to get into games. Right now it's not writers who write most games. A programmer gets an idea and runs with it, if he pitches it right to his superiors. The biggest titles like Metal Gear Solid are already on par with major movie production, in terms of man-hours and infrastructure.
Video games are just another level. Non-linear, interactive, marketable. And it's not like strong stories tank. The strong point of any good RPG is the story; gameplay is important but doesn't sink a title like bad writing.
Hang up with writers is that the general attitude is condescending to games (a lot like the state of anime). But that's just fortunate for me, they can laugh themselves all the way to the bank extinction.
Chiyachan:
Games like Left for Dead will help in the future... What if those fucking zombies come around... Knowing a headshot will take em out, and that sticking in a group of four will improve your chances.... It's a life saver!
Carnivus:
Not to talk about how Mass Effect will lighten our way when we will find other intelligent species
Nikran:
with that kinda view point it would be a great idea to play fallout just to be prepaired for when the world turns to shit after a nuclear war =P
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