Finally, a game about the Library of Congress classification system [Updated]

by Justin McElroy { Jan 18th 2008 at 10:25AM }

Since the inception of the video game, there have been those who would try to re-purpose electronic interactive entertainment for more ... educational pursuits. As a rule we're typically supportive of these efforts, but a recent project by students at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center has just pushed us too far. They've just used a game called Within Range to ... teach the ~~Dewey Decimal System~~. [Update: It's the Library of Congress classification system. See below paragraph for more insight into how this error was made.]

We've made it clear how we feel about libraries (or as we think of them, the crappy, flammable Internet that also has homeless people), so you can understand why this is so offensive to us. That's doubled by the fact that the fun has been filed under "N" for "non-existent." Think all games deserve a fair shake? Go ahead, but don't say we didn't warn you.

[Thanks, Michael S.]

Tags: books, edutainment, libraries, sadness

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

PeterBeck @ Jan 18th 2008 10:32AM

"DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM?!"

"Conan! The Librarian!"

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 10:35AM

Tee Hee,

Oh, CMU, how ever will you amuse me next :D

Its always fun to see edutainment, some improvements:

Flaming Bunnies
M16 or AK47
Warthogs (of Halo fame, and the Animal, why not)
Some Scantily clad women
Drug Reference
Ability to Shot Dewy

That would make a bad ass game...

But in all seriousness... it's edutainment... it sucks... that goes without saying, give good old CMU a break :P

Intentless @ Jan 18th 2008 10:37AM

If English is a second third or further language for you then disregard this...

If it is your primary and potentially only language you may want to look into some grammer and spelling games...

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 10:43AM

@Intentless

I am fluent in only two languages,

C++ and Perl

The others i just adlib

GRANTED @ Jan 18th 2008 11:27AM

for the record i thought his english was fine. besides this is the internet, anyone who wants to spell check or correct grammar on here should politely fuck off because no one really cares.

michael @ Jan 18th 2008 11:59AM

Leave him alone. I mean if you're going to insult him on his 'grammer' skills, at least spell it correctly. It is grammar, with and A.

Maybe it is you that should be looking in to English lessons.

Vladeon @ Jan 18th 2008 10:45AM

That's not the dewey decimal system, it's the library of congress call number system. There is a difference.

Minstrel @ Jan 18th 2008 10:43AM

You clearly have never been in a college library since you can't tell the difference between the Library of Congress classification system and the Dewey Decimal system.

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 10:50AM

Clearly they have no intention of reading anything on the screen either, it says right in the top left corner of the screen what it is :-P

Ben @ Jan 18th 2008 11:00AM

Yeah, I was just about to point that out... It clearly says Library of Congress Classification Guide. I don't even see the words Dewey, Decimal, or System any where.
However, if you look at the "game" it does list the Dewey Decimal number along with the LoC letter.

Curtis @ Jan 18th 2008 10:51AM

That was quite possibly worse then Mario's Time Machine.

samfish @ Jan 18th 2008 10:59AM

Dewey, you fool! Your decimal system has played right into my hands!

tc @ Jan 18th 2008 11:11AM

one futurama reference?

one cookie for you!

Uber_Mexico @ Jan 18th 2008 11:04AM

It's definitely not Dewey, it's Library of Congress, a vastly superior system that my friends call the "Periodic table of Books"

Serious library people will actually take offense at you confusing the two as Dewey is the stupid elementary school classification system.

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 11:07AM

Yes, all three serious library people are online right now and reading Joystiq.

This confusion further proves how useless books are, all the information you ever need to know can be learned on the streets,

(cue Family Guy quip about relating life on the street with algebra)

"thats what we call a variable"

InspectorDim @ Jan 18th 2008 2:09PM

You'd be surprised at how many of we serious library people are online and reading Joystiq right now.

I'm thinking if we ever develop a collection of video games to lend out to people, that we should let everyone who isn't the writer of this article check them out.

Alex @ Jan 18th 2008 11:13AM

Lord, I'll have to show this to my co-workers, but yeah it's LC not Dewey....umm : takes offense...or some such according to above comment: :p

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 11:18AM

It was sorta a jokeish thing...

but books are hard to update :-P you gotta gimmie that.

I just don't like libraries... not my scene...

Hirsbrunner @ Jan 18th 2008 11:17AM

"...you may want to look into some grammer and spelling games..."

I hope you were being ironical.

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 11:20AM

Ye, and verely they doth go into thge library of congressionalnessacity and asked upon the masterful librariatocious librarian one simplistimicated question.

"Where is the bathroom"

I don't know where I was going...

i sense a vote down...

Backslash @ Jan 19th 2008 2:52AM

I hope *you* were being ironic. :D

Lianne @ Jan 18th 2008 11:24AM

I make my living by working at a university library. I will have to "take offense" to this as well. And good job on the uninformed article (confusing the LC classification system for Dewey Decimal). Apparently you made the incorrect assumption that any avid video game player reading this blog would not know much about libraries. If this game weren't so crappy, it could make a good training exercise for the student workers!

King James @ Jan 18th 2008 11:26AM

Because an institution designed to provide information accessible to all citizens regardless of age, economic status or educational background is something to hate and despise. Who needs libraries when you've got the ever-reliable Internet? Why on earth would you ask an information professional to help you find timely, accurate information when Wikipedia answers all?

Yeah, libraries are the great scourge of our society, and we'd all be better off without them. Riiiiiiight.

paragraph @ Jan 18th 2008 12:02PM

A library killed my father, and raped my mother... and libraries pollute the air, and recent polls show that air is good.

...

But seriously, i agree, and i don't.

You can't learn everything from the internet, but you can try :-P

I have a car, that means i can drive 50 miles to get a bunch of bananas if i want, does that mean i can say walking is stupid and pointless, you bet your sweet bippy it does.

Elitism, it's what's for dinner.

But in all seriousness, it's been a long ass time since i've been in a library, and it was to read my e-mail... I do all of my reading at the books store.

Justin McElroy @ Jan 18th 2008 11:38AM

I have fixed the incorrect classification. Now, if you'll excuse me, this comments section smells like pocket protectors and torn underwear waistbands. I must now take my leave.

Hirsbrunner @ Jan 18th 2008 11:41AM

sniff..sniff...

Hey, he's right! Ah, the memories!

samfish @ Jan 18th 2008 2:44PM

Well...maybe if you'd SHOWER ONCE IN A WHILE, MCELROY..!

Donald @ Jan 18th 2008 12:46PM

The LoC system drove me to drinking and call center work. Seriously.

Kon @ Jan 18th 2008 1:40PM

I mean no maliciousness in this, but "We've made it clear how we feel about libraries (or as we think of them, the crappy, flammable Internet that also has homeless people)" is a very ignorant statement. The rise of the Internet has increased library use dramatically. Frankly, there are many things online which are not available through normal search engines, many people require assistance from an information professional to find exactly what they are looking for, and there are still many, many people without high-speed access or access at all.

As a computer science degree earner, I would have probably agreed with you a few years ago - I know how to find anything I would ever need. While earning my graduate degree, I learned how incorrect that assumption was.

Dagon @ Jan 18th 2008 4:19PM

While I agree with what you say about the usefulness of the library, that doesn't change the fact that they are vastly more flamable than the internet and a favorite hangout of the homeless. Walking down the center of my library right now smells like a mix of campfire and cat piss.... And F you McElroy, you wish you half the man Melvil Dewey was.

Deuxhero @ Jan 18th 2008 1:42PM

I have been waiting 2 decades for an edutainment as good as Oregon Trail, and I am still waiting *sigh*.

InspectorDim @ Jan 18th 2008 2:16PM

Actually, this game is a lot more fun than some of the other LC Classification games I've seen. And I've actually seen others.

I'll echo the statements made above, that libraries aren't just about books anymore. Then I'm going to peer angrily over my horn-rimmed glasses at you, adjust the traditional librarian bun on the back of my head, and say "F***!"

Scooby Doo @ Jan 18th 2008 2:33PM

Some of you seem to be taking this WAY too seriously. While Justin may have made a mistake and tried to bring a little sarcasm into his article, there's no need to deride the man. You're on a freakin' GAMING WEB SITE! Lighten up a little bit, we don't read Joystiq for intellectual pursuits other than a good debate every now and then.

Dan peters @ Jan 18th 2008 4:51PM

My wife is a librarian and I have to say the lack of respect he field gets is amusing some times and frustrating all the others. Libraries aren't going anywhere simply because of the internet, not anytime soon anyway . Just in case you didn't realize there are other kinds of libraries then just the public "bum hostels". My wife works in a research library for a large alloys corporation, a library that is full of things that will never be on the internet. I've heard plenty of derogatory things about "internet journalists" too, I'm sure you feel they are completely unjustified, isn't that convenient? Things like lack of standards and sloppy research...