The ever evolvement of video games

It is crazy to see the way interactive entertainment is changing. I think its really interesting that the week we discuss video games is in conjunction with Xbox’s newest video game platform, Kinect. Kinect allows the users to be “the controller.” The advancment of technology in the game Kinect makes me wonder, where is the future of video games headed? Can anything top a controller free video game? Not only are the environments in which interactive games are played changing, but I believe our social norms are changing as well. How are interactive games changing our social norms? Will serious games become part of everyday classroom lesson plans? Will people get together on weekends to play video games instead of board games or watching movies? And are these social changes a good thing?

After watching the “Digital Nation” in class today, I realize the answer to my question may line within this video. One part of the film was about how elementary students were using laptops for learning. The principal legitimized children’s laptop use for learning by saying that technology will always be apart of our world, it’s like oxygen and we would never not let children use oxygen. Lame example. But a valid underlying point. Technology will always be developing, expanding, and changing the way we as society does pretty much everything. Obviously, technology is changing the way people play video games, and that serious games are a very unique way to learn. I could definitely see the future of video games involving many different environments, especially the classroom. Can you imagine a bunch of students sitting around in class and playing games for class? I don’t believe this is a far off future. I actually took a class here at Elon undergrad where we made presentations and projects in Second Life. Not exactly a game, per say, but definitely on the pathway to playing games in classrooms

I could also definitely see the future of video games being incorporated into lots of social settings, like Jordan T. said in class on Monday. No longer will people be going out to see movies. They may be creating movies through game controllers, or becoming part of a virtual video game. Seriously, if technology has now allowed video games to be controller free… we are definitely headed towards a world of unimaginable games.

Tags: classrooms, social norms, video games