THE POSITIVE SIDE OF GAMING

THE POSITIVE SIDE OF GAMING

Gaming is not just about revenue, addiction, gamers, and so on. A game being an expression of technology, developing cultural norms, and a world wide phenomenon that transcends all boundaries, becomes a source of study.

Games are not mere toys, they promote:

• Information literacy. Players download text files, make notes, they also take "screen shots" of the game and upload it with their comments. A group then examines the suggestions and discussions emerge on strategies as well as required improvements or changes. Knowledge creation and rapid sharing is common to digital spaces. People of all ages and ethnicities from around the world pool their understanding and resources to solve problems.
• Curiosity and a thirst to find out more. Leading to the development of learning. Players pool thoughts and resources and try and work out how different elements function. Individual skills are sharpened using pooled resources.
• Development of well developed research skills and the use of a huge mind boggling variety of resources. For games like "Lineage" a player would need to become a member of a 100 or more strong clan and in order to protect his castle or carry out sieges he or she needs to manipulate text, images, research equipment use, draw out maps, manage resources, design strategies, create and maintain treasuries, write down facts, theories, and proposals, as well as design workable models.
• Social interaction and exchange of ideas and thoughts especially in multiplayer online games.
• An understanding of world history. A few games are based on civilizations and take players as far back as 4000 BCE leading them through different developmental stages of the world with the creation of cities, temples, libraries, granaries, railroads and more. Many games are map based and re-enact actual events that have taken place in the world.
• The setting up of virtual learning to explore new game related technologies, new gaming elements, and modes of play with peers. In fact, "Civilization" aficionados created "Give peace a Chance" in which players learn about wining by using non violence.
• Interpretation of data and lateral thinking. Players spend long hours absorbed in researching information, searching high and low for tips, cheats, and tricks, developing what are known as walkthroughs.
• Curiosity and sets the wheels of the mind clicking leading to innovations in design, software programming, graphics, strategies, and more.
• Team work, a sharing of ideas, as well as collective problem solving.
• Competitiveness a thirst to succeed and win.

In depth research has proven that gaming plays a role in increasing self esteem, and is motivational in many ways. Children who play games perform better at comprehension, spelling, and math. 

Gee, Squire, and Stienkuehler, University of Wisconsin-Madison professors, are studying learning through game playing and the advantages of gaming over traditional teaching tools truly believe that gaming has woven within its matrix important learning technologies. Learning in the e-learning world of virtual gaming is hands on, interactive, has no restrictions or boundaries, promotes collaborative working, problem solving, creating a new generation of leaders.
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Just how will Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate work with the Wii U and 3DS?

Monster Hunter's leading man Ryozo Tsujimoto explains it all

Monster Hunter 3 is already out in Japan on the 3DS, but when it makes its way to the Western world in March next year it will be released alongside the Wii U version, with both titles utilsing cross-platform gaming.

After Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was revealed at the TGS, Eurogamer  caught up with Ryozo Tsujimoto where he explained how the two games would work together.

Tsujimoto explained that data can be saved across both versions of the game once a free app is installed, which allows data from the Wii U to transfer to the 3DS, and vice versa. This allows you to play the same campaign on both platforms.

Capcom has introduced a new feature which it hopes will initiate "Monster Hunter parties," where players can connect their Wii U to three other 3DS consoles, allowing four-player local co-op over Wi-Fi. Gamers will be able to take their saves with them to a friend's house, but will still be playing in the same game. Tsujimoto said he hopes this feature will make up for the lack of online play on the 3DS game.

Tsujimoto explains, "we wanted people to play together...We know there are some people who want to play online. Unfortunately with the 3DS version you can't do that. But we have made this feature so you can play together. You can have your friends bring their save data to your house and have a Monster Hunter party. One person will play on the big screen and three other people will play with their 3DS versions. People can continue their save data from what they had before and go back home and update their data on their Wii U."

The 3DS version doesn't have online play simply because "when we were developing the game we were looking into it but there were some places we were unsure about," Tsujimoto admitted, instead deciding not to "release something that didn't work well. We didn't want to lower the quality of the game."

Tsujimoto also detailed how the online component will work on the Wii U. "With internet play you can play with other hunters online...In terms of new features, we have text chat in the game. Right now we're looking into voice chat and seeing how we can get that to work, but it hasn't been 100 per cent confirmed."

Friend lists will be used in the game too, making it "easy to jump to wherever they're playing." Tsujimoto went on to explain that there will also be a search function to make it easy to find other hunters. "Once you get four hunters connected together you'll automatically go off on a quest. We're trying to make an online experience that's extremely stress-free and easy to use for the players."

Capcom remains hopeful that with the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in the west, the series' popularity will grow further, but Tsujimoto insists that there will be no drastic changes to the series to appeal to western gamers.

SOURCE:CVG