Video games are a relatively recent invention in the field of technology, but in spite of its lack of time on the market it has been heavily critiqued for hurting the youth. According to the media, video games do nothing but melt your brain. The only narrative that seems to be out there in our culture is that video games are detrimental to learning and brain formation. The other problem you hear is that video games like Assassin’s Creed are too violent for the youth, who are the majority of the people who play video games. I want to present the other side of this narrative. The side that shows the educational value of video games. As a freshman, I took a certain history course. It’s safe to say history is not my strong suit just like many kids across the globe. The first day of class, the professor was presenting ways to get a better grasp on the material. Since a majority of the course was on Ancient Greece, the professor recommended Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. This is the latest edition to the assassin’s creed series which takes place in Ancient Greece. The professor recommended this game because of how “historically accurate” the game is.
This game is a perfect combination of action, story, and history all in one. Everything from the geography to the people you encounter along the way. Everything checks out historically. This gave me a huge advantage in my course. The uniqueness of this game is it keeps your interest while teaching you about the everyday life of the Greek people. I had no prior knowledge of the Greek world but after mastering this game, I am an expert on both Athens and Sparta. Along with the entire peloponnesian war. As a kid with ADHD, this game keeps your attention with different challenges and objectives involving historical people. A perfect example is that part of the game is to discuss Greek Politics with the historical philosopher Sokrates. This game boosted my confidence dramatically in history. I finished that class with an A. My teacher spoke to me after the end of the year and asked what my secret was and I informed him that I took his advice and bought the game.
This got me thinking… video games could take a new historical approach to allow there to be an educational side to the game. This way, grades of gamers will go up and even their inquisitive nature may go up. I believe this may be the future of gaming. I think video game creators could make games more like Assassin’s Creed odyssey where the action keeps you engaged and mixes in with the historical learning perspective. Then, the media wouldn’t put such a negative connotation around video games and the violence in them. If we can make an association between the violence and learning, we can make an educational difference in the world. I truly think this will create a better image for video games and eventually lead to more profit. I wanted to share my story to show there can be a positive in video games. Also, to say I want to be part of the future of gaming and the future of education. Do you?
