In the video, Jane talked about how online game can change this world. She uses World of Warcraft as an example. Millions people take billions time to play this game for 16 years. Game players always enjoy the world, and try to finish the tasks in the game. So why and how game can change or save the world ? In the video, she says that in the game, people do not need to worry about something they do want to face, and more focus on the tasks. Players collaborate in the game, and are very efficient. In the end, she introduce three games which developed by her team, to show how it help the world. For example, oil problems, environmental problems, and social problems. She says that the players will adapt their habits in the game in the real world. According to my point of view, I agree with that games can help or save the world. I’m a players, and play online game when I was very young, and spend more than 5000 hours in my life. I do believe that people who can success in the game have special ability, which may save the world. Many people may disagree with that, and they can not understand. So please play the game, and then you will know why those people are so talent. I also believe that in the game, people are more relax, they can think problem more clearly. I think this is a good topic to discuss. I hope that the online game can help people to save our world.
Source: Gaming can make a better world: Jane McGonigal on TED.com
I agree that gamers can heavily impact how the real world functions, but the question is how? I myself spent a lot of time playing xbox live when I was in high school, and I see very little carryover to the real world. I liked how the author described the epic wins, and completing the impossible, but how do we achieve these things in real life? In games, we have no limits. If we mess up, we start over and try again. In real life, if we mess up it has serious, potentially long term consequences. I don’t know. I really like what the author has to say. We have no fear, no depression, no anxiety within the virtual world. The question is how to bring that to the real world. I think this goes into a deep psychologic aspect of life and changing the way we think about problems.
I do think this talk about how online gaming can change the world is really intriguing to listen to. I think its interesting, but I don’t really agree with it 100 percent. But there are some very good points. It does allow people to be someone there not, it allows them to be relaxed. Which allows them to have the ability to make the certain decisions, that they wouldn’t be able to make under a lot of pressure. But I as well think online games are a way for people to hide in fear. They hide with online games because its makes them feel good about themselves. There is now way of failing by being online. There so involved by staying online they don’t get the chance of seeing the world and meeting people. It doesn’t allow them to make those decisions that Jane thinks online gaming will benefit with.
I can’t deny that games have benefits to real world, but I still have different opinion about your idea. You said that people who can success in the game have special ability, which may save the world; however, most people can success in the game because they are professional. They have special ability, while they put their talent on the virtual world, which reduces the possibility of success in the real world, for they spend long time on game. What’s more, game can make people feel relax. When I play the game, I always pay attentions on game, I am relaxed, but I don’t have other time to think about other question.
I think there are very minor benefits to how video games can contribute to real world problems. I respect where you are coming from, but I do not see where video games hold value in the real world. I think it can help develop certain skills and thinking. World of Warcraft can help someone with strategy and thinking of that nature, but I wonder how that would translate into the real world.
I can talk about how video games can help the world. Do you guys have played Civilization III? It basically let you run a city and make it better. By playing this game, you can use the resources more efficiently. If you used the behavior in the game for the real world, you can make the world more better.