The Power Of Play: Ian Livingstone at TEDxZurich

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

The Power Of Play: Ian Livingstone at TEDxZurich

 

Play is our natural education from the moment we are born. We are playful by nature and we all have a natural curiosity to learn to solve problems. (Video) Games, other than books and films, put you in charge -- they are not a passive form of entertainment. Media and public have been convinced forever that video games are going to be the complete moral decay of the children who ware playing them. Nevertheless, games have moved to be a mainstream cultural phenomenon. Ian Livingstone makes the case that games actually are an educational source that must not be underestimated, and asks: Why can't learining be fun?!

 

 

[trooper11]

You know, some people within the gaming community bemoan the fact that gaming has become so mainstream. They resent the fact that it is now being picked up by so many casual users and spawning casual experiences in the process (motion controls, mobile gaming, facebook gaming, etc, etc).

The reality is that gaming is much more than the hardcore variety that is focused on so much and it can be used in ways that are very beneficial just like any other form of entertainment (art, music, movies, books, etc). Very simple games can draw as much attention as even the most complex or deep titles.

One part I would point out though is that while gaming can be used for 'good', it can also be used for bad. If we are going to say that gaming can influence people in positive ways, we cannot ignore the flip side of that. If it can be positive, it can be negative as well. That goes back to the whole violence in video games argument. All forms of entertainment, including games, can have some sort of impact on those that experience it.