Microsoft Say Educational Games Will Be The Death Of Us All

Speaking at the Games 3.0 event in London earlier in the week, Microsoft's Neil Thompson went on a little rant against education in games. Said it's just not for him, not for his company, and really, shouldn't be for this industry.


We're in the business of producing fun, not education. It so happens that certain products we produce have educational value. We're in the business of creating fun entertainment and the moment we try to pretend we're in the business of education we've crossed the line and it's dangerous for us as a company and as an industry.
Whatever. We both know, Neil, if it hadn't been for VIva Pinata I'd have no idea about the whole worm incest thing.

http://kotaku.com/5069670/microsoft-...eath-of-us-all

There is some truth to his statement. Most educational games tend to dumb down things for kids to the point that watching the stuff as an adult, you'd think you're taking retard training.

Whilst I was a kid, the schools BBC micro had nothing but Granny's Garden and other educational titles we were made to play these whilst the teacher was playing football manager.....Bastard! Is it just me but a lot of "Educational" titles are really patronising to the kids and those who supervise them (Talking of patronising the Tuturiols in most games esp. EA's)

I am doubtful the 360 will be "killed" :rofl: by educational games. I kind of expected this kind of statement from MS. Either way, educational games are gaining popularity, not as games for fun, but as actual learning tools. Especially on the DS, I see educational games released weekly in Japan. Toeic tests, face training (lol), math learning etc. These are hardly dumbed-down and patronizing examples. But yeah, a lot of "educational" software is garbage. Who could forget Lets Learn Spanish DS, or the many brain game copycats. My Coach series is an example of quality educational games.
If you think you can't teach things using the DS or another VG system you are underestimating the possibilities of the medium. There is no problem with educational software simply existing in the games market.
The MS guy should have just said "Gamers want to kill, not learn." Saying that educational games are a danger to the industry is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while.
Sorry for the rant. :o

Kids hate educational games. Until they're in school and suddenly they seem a whole lot better than doing work in books.

Hmm I don't know my fluent Japanese begs to differ MS. Thanks to My Japanese Coach on DS! haha jk

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Originally Posted by pibs

Hmm I don't know my fluent Japanese begs to differ MS. Thanks to My Japanese Coach on DS! haha jk

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My Japanese Coach will never make you fluent, but you WILL actually learn some Japanese if you give it a chance. People will discount it just because, "it's a DS Game", and "who learns from DS games?" Words are of the same value, regardless of from a book or from the DS.

educational games blow. They've been overproduced in the market, and only nongamers that play games for games are the primary demand for it, and they ruin the market for all the other gamers.

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Originally Posted by davidcrew

educational games blow. They've been overproduced in the market, and only nongamers that play games for games are the primary demand for it, and they ruin the market for all the other gamers.

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My thoughts as well.

Microsoft never heard of Simcity? Several games have stolen ideas from Simcity.