Gamers, Yes We Can
In a move that would probably make Rupert Giles (since we’re on a Whedon note here today) cry and babble on about standards and the delightful smell of musty books, libraries across the United States have declared this Saturday, November 14, “National Gaming Day.”
Yes. Libraries. Dewey, prepare to catalog.
The American Library Association has joined gamers worldwide in believing that games have the power to positively teach not only historically, but critically. From the old school method of wash, rinse, and repeat to latter day solving of complex puzzles, thinking on your feet, and using strategy and smarts to crush baddies, gamers are well aware of the potential of video games as mind-developing agents.
Potential, that is. Some games just kind of rot our brains, we admit, and some industry-loathing individuals will stop at nothing to prove that all video games offer is senseless violence, gore, and mental breakdowns, but more and more games are being used to stress thinking skills and creativity. Titles like Scribblenauts solely foster creative and verbal expansion … even if they don’t always work.
But when it comes to history, libraries aren’t commending the bashing in of dates and names. Instead, they’re finding worth in a game’s ability to recreate events and figures and immerse someone in a time period, exposing him to an unfamiliar, detail-rich world—and developers remember to do their homework nowadays. Games like the Italian Renaissance-themed Assassin’s Creed II and the World War II-exploring The Saboteur are pushing the boundaries of what a video game can accomplish, and not only in terms of graphics and gameplay.
As ALA President Dr. Camila Alire explains, “We have found that by adding board and video game formats to library collections we are providing users with tools to build strong literacy practices while sharpening technical and critical thinking skills.”
Try eating that for breakfast, Jack Thompson. We’ll stick to our army of librarian white knights.
