FTW: Gaming for Learning

Fascinating commentaries about the sound design, composition and music purposes in World of Warcraft.

""It's supposed to be a game," says de Castell. "And a game is supposed to be relatively insulated from the rules and norms of everyday life. And when that is breached, it's not a game anymore.""

"Fellow Canadian and WoW player Melanie McBride (@melaniemcbride) is composing a Twitter list of educators interested in using World of Warcraft & massively multiple online games for teaching and learning. Get in touch with her on Twitter or check out her list if that's you."

"I recently defended my dissertation at the University of Washington College of Education, and, as you can guess from this post on Terra Nova, it was on learning in MMOGs. Specifically, I looked at the change in raiding practice of a group of World of Warcraft players as I played alongside them for 10 months. Of particular note, my data is from the early days of WoW, spanning the life and death of a Molten Core (and later BWL and AQ40) group that came together out of a multi-guild alliance. We were on a role-play server, which I think is important to note, given the group's shared values and goals of hanging out and having fun over and beyond itemization and progression. "

In the survey, participants filled out a motivations inventory, focusing on the 3 main game-play motivations identified in earlier research on MMO players. The table below summarizes what is encompassed by the 3 main components of the model. The Achievement branch focuses on different ways of gaining power in the game. The Social branch focuses on different ways of relating to other players. And the Immersion branch focuses on different ways of being part of the story and game world.

Have you ever wanted to fly? This is just one more thing you can do in a synthetic world that you can't do in reality. This is a montage of my Night Elf druid taking various travel forms in World of Warcraft. I created it in order to share a glimpse of the world through my eyes for those who haven't spent any time there. I created it over the course of a couple of hours using Wegame and Windows Movie Maker. The music is an open license track from CC Mixter (see credits).

Edward Castronova on the max exodus to virtual worlds (via Liam)

"It's not about virtual worlds; it's about the real world. It's about people. That's what makes virtual worlds the killer app. It's us. It's other people." Must read if you're at all interested in where this stuff is going. (via Liam O'Donnell

This survey will determine your ability scores, fantasy race, class, alignment, and character level describing what you would be if you were transformed into a Dungeons and Dragons character

"The makers of a video game which was outlawed for being "sadistic, brutal and bleak" have finally had the ban lifted after an extended legal battle." Isn't there enough chaotic evil in teh world?

Half the UK population has grown up playing computer games. They aren't addicted, they aren't psychopathic killers, and they resent those boneheads - that's you - who imply that they are addicted and are psychopathic killers.

GTA IV is its latest incarnation. In its first week of release, it made around $500m. It's been rightly, and widely, proclaimed a masterpiece. And it is - at least technically. As far as the script and storyline goes

One way to invest gaming with the same cultural relevance of other forms of media would be to place players inside compelling, sophisticated stories.

Sadly in school, many so-called advantaged learners rarely get to operate at the edge of their regime of competence as they coast along in a curriculum that makes few real demands on them.

Industry needs skilled gaming professionals. Perhaps community college is the place to focus on skillsets.

Phantom Compass founder Tony Walsh talks about his Second Life avatar and current projects with new-school virtual world reporter Draxtor Despres.

Recently my work has turned to the creation of "smart worlds" rather than games, worlds in which objects, tools, and the environment are co-learners with and mentors to humans. - James Paul Gee.

The scientists' conclusion? "Whatever you've learned in the computer game does have an effect on how you behave toward the stimulus in the real world" says the leader of the study, Paul Fletcher. For those of you who play computer games on a regular basis

ENGAGE is a European Network for Growing Activity in Game-based learning in Education

Fun to watch and listen to Torley, who "likes colorful lights and pulsating music. Herein lies one of his first forays into the wonderful world of AudioSurf!"