I think it is an interesting idea that video games and players have the potential to help solve worldly problems. It wasn’t Until I read the text and watched the Ted Talks video that I actually believed this was possible. My question is, what other ways can video gamers help the world out other than informing themselves about problems in the world? Beverly Jones’ Computer Graphics essay stated that “most video games clearly show their origin in military simulation.” This and institutions like the military is where I think video games have the most potential, and whether we can implement these ideas into the video games that everyone plays is another objective. I think another problem arises in the ability of game designers to trust the gamers completing these tasks and making the games relevant and directly applicable to real life situations. None the less I think this is a great way to move something that millions of people are going to do anyway into a direction that is beneficial to them and other in the World.
You raised a good point about the video game and the ability of video game to solve questions in the real world. I do agree with Jane that video games allow people to gain some abilities and that video game players are huge human resource in the future in some degrees. However, from my point of view, video games are different with the real world. Even though video game players could figure out some plans or method to solve the leaking oil problems while they playing the games, they still cannot implement the plans effectively for sure in the real life.
You asked what other ways can video games help the world out other tan informing themselves about problems in the world. I think video games could give people a period of time to relax themselves and then go back to the real world and solve problems in the real world.
Great post! Your last point about making video games “applicable to real life situations” had me thinking about what it would mean to make them educational for gamers. I think that making video games with enlightening tasks or messages that relate to global problems is a great attempt at blending education with relevant technology, applicable to people around the world. However, I am not sure that these messages will solidify with gamers or be widely accepted by them given the medium. Gamers use video games as a way to escape from real life and the problems that they may face in reality. To me this potential type of video game that confronts real world issues is comparable to films that depict the ugly truths about the world. By giving video games a serious topic and objective involving worldly problems, gamers may not be as receptive to them as other fantasy games. Nevertheless, this is not to say that those who play these educational video games will not pick up on certain habits or at the very least develop awareness about global issues.