SXSW: Serious Games: Can Learning Be Hard Fun?
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Mar 19th 2007 at 10:00PM }
When you combine the words "serious" "learning" and "hard" in the same sentence, chances are you're going to end up with something that gamers won't like. But that's what the Serious Games Initiative is all about, developing games for "non-entertainment" purposes. Of course, the problem is games for non-entertainment tend to scare people away faster than the phrase "edutainment."
That's the main problem facing Serious Games, how do they make it seem like they aren't hiding the broccoli under the meatloaf? All of the games shown off were educational in one form or another, having to do with zapping cancer cells inside the human body, or how to interact with people in the workplace. Seriously, there is a game about the proper way to run a meeting, collaborate with coworkers, and generally function in an office. Too bad it's not running on the Unreal Engine. Zing!
But how do they make them fun? That's what they've been struggling with since the creation of the phrase "serious games" (which still sounds sort of corny to us). Huge budgets are being spent on these games, trying to get them to look like Gears of War, yet teach you about the proper way to brush your teeth at the same time. Actually, a first-person shooter where you are creeping stealthily through a dank and infested mouth, trying to frag cavity creatures might be pretty fun. Anyone developing that?
One panelist mentioned that any game should, by definition, be fun ... and we tend to agree with her. Although during the Q&A session one audience member stood up and wondered why so much emphasis was being put on the graphics and the gameplay in some of these titles, because given a choice between a textbook and a game, wouldn't a kid chose the game, no matter how craptastic, every time? He had a good point, because we'd rather play Let's Count Sand than thumb through 'Chemistry 101: The World and You.'
So the developers are riding the line between equal parts fun and equal parts learning, often on budgets of $10,000 or less. There are a few big-budget projects out there in the works, but based on what we saw in the presentation, the graphics are still pretty much circa PlayStation One, at best. If they could only stumble into something like Oregon Trail, a game that didn't blow you away with graphics, but had fun gamplay elements that sort of tricked you into learning, then maybe they'd have something.
Until then, these games remain ... serious.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pink Chiefette @ Mar 19th 2007 10:24PM
In my freshman biology class in college, we played around with a program/game called Virtual Cell, in which you controlled a "spaceship" and flew around a giant cell. Although educational, it wasn't too much fun, since it was still in its early stages. From what I'm hearing, its getting polished up pretty well. I find that interactive activities (games) really help with understanding certain concepts and ideas.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Mar 19th 2007 10:18PM
"Edutainment" wouldn't be bad if they effing remembered to put in the 'tainment!
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego was a decent title. If they just made it a teensy bit less dumb, and focused more on the geography bit of the sleuthing rather than the "You have X turns" jazz, it'd teach US/World geography, and it would be an adventure game.
All of us who were in elementary school in the 80s remember Oregon Trail...am I just stupid or naive to think that something like that could be done again?
John Doe @ Mar 19th 2007 10:36PM
Even games like Rise of Nations or Civilization can be educational.
Mitsuo @ Mar 19th 2007 10:45PM
"serious games" is a oxymoron. YOu play games to have fun. There can be serious tones and all, but the main point is fun. Other wise it's less of a game and more of something that's not a game.
FYI: I learned what the word "Concur" means from Civ II where the advisors always say it. XDD I IZ SMART. I LEARNEDED FROM ZE GAMEZ!
JSL @ Mar 19th 2007 11:00PM
You don't learn much in the way of facts from Oregon Trail to be honest. You do, however, learn how to think. That's where games often shine. Teaching thinking skills and logic can be done reasonably well via edutainment. Inserting facts, definitions, concepts, etc., is where things often go wrong, but I don't see any reason why it can't be done.
Chemicus (Both I and II) did it very well. In fact, I think Chemicus is one of the best edutainment titles ever released. You have to know your chemistry to make your way through the game. You aren't presented with a boring pop quiz, but instead are faced with in-game puzzles (think Myst, Riddle of the Sphinx, etc.) that require both logic and knowledge of chemistry.
stoik @ Apr 5th 2007 1:14AM
Operation Weather Disaster was memorable; but the 'game' in the last level was impossible, not even an adult could do it. Probably the most influential games to me were Gizmos and Gadgets, and Treasure Mathstorm.
syxed @ Mar 19th 2007 11:46PM
Game: 1. An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games.
Ummm... non-entertainment game? That's not English. Educational games must have the game aspect as well, or else, well, they're not games. I'm all for interactive experiences a la Google Earth or those old "travel through the body" programs, but I calls em like I sees em, and non-entertainment games are not games.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Mar 20th 2007 12:53AM
The wonderful thing about language is that it is dynamic. We don't have to change to meet its requirements because it is constantly changing to meet ours.
Milquetoast @ Mar 20th 2007 1:09AM
I'm extremely interested in using games as learning tools, but the overt stuff isn't nearly as interesting as the transparent learning that could potentially come from games. Look up ludology or read Ender's Game, or even this little known tween book called 'Invitation to the Game'. When someone actually starts looking at how people can learn from games without having learning shoved down their throats, (that is, blindly imitating traditional learning techniques) anything is possible.
Unfortunately the potential money for such an undertaking would need to come from schools, and it appears schools do not have the capacity or capability to shirk 100+ years of rote memorization learning. Perhaps if the government privatized schools...bah, I'm being a Libertarian :D
Regardless, everyone should check out some of the projects Jellyvision has been up to. They've still got You Dont Know Jack on their site, but they also did this thing for a site that helps you pick colleges. What if Cookie or one of the other YDKJ hosts was berating you for spelling 'coincidence' wrong?
Kevin @ Mar 20th 2007 2:18AM
#9 Milquetoast - really great call on Ender's Game. I recently listened to an audiobook version of that novel with a cast of people dramatizing it, and it holds up so well today just as it did years ago. The video game tie-in in the story is great.
Ihar Filipau @ Mar 20th 2007 6:04AM
> Of course, the problem is games for non-entertainment tend to scare people away faster than the phrase "edutainment."
True. As if brain damage of 8 to 5 isn't enough...
From all my experience, main audience for "serious games" are kids. Grown-ups need really some hard off switch to break from daily routine. WiiPlay/WiiSports are perfect fit.