Comments on: Why we need to use games for Journalism http://trippenbach.com/2008/03/31/hello-westminster-uni/ Journalism, game design and social media meet at last. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:35:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: trippenbach http://trippenbach.com/2008/03/31/hello-westminster-uni/#comment-360 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:56:20 +0000 http://trippenbach.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-360 Indeed, mainstream games are informative in the way you describe. But let’s take Shogun as an example. I’d argue that the more importatnt lesson you learned while playing it was pre-firearms field warfare tactics.

While playing Shogun, you got better at the game. At first you sucked, like we all do, and then by playing battles over and over with bigger and bigger armies, you got better. By now you’ve played enough of the game that you’d actually be a halfway decent field commander for a real-life army, if you were ever put in that position. That’s because playing the game has taught you real tactical principles like flanking, the use of terrain, which type of soldier (pikes/horse/archers) to use against which, and so on.

The process of playing the game allows you to explore the way battles work in a very real way – only without losing life and kingdom if (when) you fail. In a way, games allow you to learn through the creative exploration of failure, because you can fail without cost. By doing so, you learn real skills. That’s why games can be so useful.

Think of chess: it teaches real lessons in strategy and planning, despite being so abstracted that it doesn’t really look like a real battle, at all.

]]> By: rustedangel http://trippenbach.com/2008/03/31/hello-westminster-uni/#comment-64 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:33:17 +0000 http://trippenbach.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-64 Well, I would argue that even mainstream games can be informative – I learned a fair bit about the sengoku period playing “Shogun: Total War” and “Deus Ex” required you to get familiar with buckyballs and grey goo. A few months ago I watched a CNN story about nuclear reactors in north korea. “Oh,” I thought, “they must be worried about the Yongbyong 5mw installation.” Thank you, “Mercenaries.”

Further, there have been a few games that have informed my opinions about storytelling – a crucial subject, if you’re me – “Beyond Good & Evil,” “FF3,” and “Deus Ex” again, just to name a few. I’ve also learned that tanith6227 will occasionally whore kills in tactical games if he gets frustrated, and that you always break right through doorways when we breach in a fps.

On the whole I am happy to agree with this post, and excited for you that your job allows you to work in the area. Down with luddism! up with the man-machine interface! up with using machines for the man-man interface!

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