*Videogames...Helping Kids With History since the 1980s*

*Videogames…Helping Kids With History since the 1980s*

by Amanda Blain
Published: Last Updated on

How many videogames have you played that the information has appeared again later in life… I know RPGS and fantasy themes always did this for me….

What games helped you learn "real life things" 🙂

   

videogameshelping kids with history since the 1980s

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Yesenia Lazo
Yesenia Lazo
11 years ago

jajajaja

John E. Bredehoft
John E. Bredehoft
11 years ago

Back when software actually included user manuals, the user manual for SimCity included an appendix that discussed the reality of city planning.

Brett Bjornsen
Brett Bjornsen
11 years ago

Well, I know I'm pretty much ready for any zerg infestation, zombie outbreak, or intergalactic diplomatic crisis, to name a few things…

Corrado Topi
Corrado Topi
11 years ago

 As long as the developers had the correct information in the first place and did not make it up along the way ….

mick mochan
mick mochan
11 years ago

yup too right

Hannes Rothe
Hannes Rothe
11 years ago

I learned pretty much about history from the early civilization games 🙂

Guus de Swart
Guus de Swart
11 years ago

Denk niet ha ha

Amanda Blain
Amanda Blain
11 years ago

Quest for Glory taught me lots about mythology with their funny stance on things.. it was great 🙂

Luigi Castellitto
Luigi Castellitto
11 years ago

Yes! 😀

Yifat Cohen
Yifat Cohen
11 years ago

lol! and navigation, and aiming…

Ashton Gellar
Ashton Gellar
11 years ago

go ezio!

Robert Kitzmiller Jr
Robert Kitzmiller Jr
11 years ago

Lol

Kimberly Unger
Kimberly Unger
11 years ago

There's a sh*t ton of stuff I know because, when it popped up in a game I said "That can't be right" and went and looked it up.  Google is my vice 😉

Anastacio Guerrero
Anastacio Guerrero
11 years ago

Tetris has all the answers to life.

Michael O'Reilly
Michael O'Reilly
11 years ago

I have all sorts of history knowledge from video games, , and lots from Saturday morning cartoons, as well, back when there were Saturday morning cartoons…

Ted Okatcha
Ted Okatcha
11 years ago

Assassin's Creed…Titan Quest (mythology), even Age of Mythology spin-off of Age of Empires did wonders for me :). I really could go on and on… Skyrim in itself can even make people go brush up on Norse mythology.

Eran Kriegshauser
Eran Kriegshauser
11 years ago

I read an article where a 12 year old boy and his sister were hiking and came across a moose. They played dead to avoid the moose. Where attain this knowledge? World of Warcraft…level 30 Hunter feign death skill.

deus exMachina
deus exMachina
11 years ago

I know almost every Battlefield weapon used by the US and Russian armed forces.  Thank you BF, BF2 and BF3.

Jeff Chapman
Jeff Chapman
11 years ago

and they say violent video games have no redeeming value…..

James Misel
James Misel
11 years ago

I learned alot of words from their adaptations into Pokemon names…

And, as  said, the Civilization games…

Slavo Herman
Slavo Herman
11 years ago

They may easily get some historical facts wrong in the games, but sometimes it is enough to throw some spark, awaken the interest – and you can go on from there yourself: Google, Wikipedia, anything…

Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran
Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran
11 years ago

I learned how to pack things in to crates REALLY tightly by playing Tetris… does that count? =oP

Chris Aultman
Chris Aultman
11 years ago

Contra on the Waterfall Level.
It taught me that you can't trust anyone. Not even your best friend.

Adrian Martin
Adrian Martin
11 years ago

…love the success kid meme! …Metal Gear Solid taught me all about how conspiracy theories from the real world can make for one helluva jaded soldier…lol

Richard Armstrong
Richard Armstrong
11 years ago

ZORK!!  loved that game it may even have taught me to read hahahah 🙂

Zeke Stockbridge
Zeke Stockbridge
11 years ago

I learned where all of the touristy/historical spots in LA were and how to drive to them from playing LA Noire.

Tosapol Bonfoey
Tosapol Bonfoey
11 years ago

ooo sim city, i look at it like this , if  city planners cant even figure out sim city how can they figure out  a real life one?

Mauri Kassick
Mauri Kassick
11 years ago

Alpha Centauri, SimCity, Civilization, Sid Meier's Pirates, … my whole childhood was filled with games, and they taught me a lot. They made me curious and interested on a variety of subjects that I don't think I would otherwise.

Games with great music make young music students to try and replay those tunes; and some reproductions on Youtube are very good! Others create upon those pieces, expanding them.

And even the new games that put a greater emphasis on "action", like Mirror's Edge and Assassin's Creed … they are inspiring kids to try out physical activities like Parkour.

Video games help kids because they're fun. And they make learning fun.

Pete Karas
Pete Karas
11 years ago

The games I played didn't help, road racing and rally racing and I ended up at the drag strip?

Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran
Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran
11 years ago

Did anyone here play nethack? I learned a lot about the Tolkien cannon from that… buuuuut it never helped pass a test, so I s'pose it doesn't count. =oP

Jamie Russman
Jamie Russman
11 years ago

Civilization Revolution

Jonathan Moore
Jonathan Moore
11 years ago

HAHAHAHA!!!!

Clayton Reeves
Clayton Reeves
11 years ago

pharaoh did that quite a bit.

Nicoletta Degli Innocenti
Nicoletta Degli Innocenti
11 years ago

e sei messo bene allora vai.. 🙂 e più che altro è messo bene il tuo professore se hai preso la sufficienza
sorry for the English-speaking people but I HAD to say it in Italian

ellyse faulds
ellyse faulds
11 years ago

Lol

Aaron Engler
Aaron Engler
11 years ago

how about the Carmen San Diego games??

Gatto NineNineNine
Gatto NineNineNine
11 years ago

I improve my poor english language !…
=^.^=

Cara Schulz
Cara Schulz
11 years ago

Sharing that with my son.  I was talking about a historical person and was surprised when he knew who it was.  Yeah, Assassins Creed.

bruce bryan
bruce bryan
11 years ago

Thats cool,great history lesson- and a great game!

Nazily Zaza
Nazily Zaza
11 years ago

I learned more about WW2 thx to FarCry 3 so yeah

Junius Jones
Junius Jones
11 years ago

Nice.

Christopher Li-Reid
Christopher Li-Reid
11 years ago

if you get your history lessons from video games – you need to stay in school.  🙁

Amanda Blain
Amanda Blain
11 years ago

Guess you havent been in school lately 🙂

Christopher Li-Reid
Christopher Li-Reid
11 years ago

apparently not because people are getting history lessons from age of empires and learning to play dead around moose (they're more scared of you and unless they have young around will bolt)

dillon whittier
dillon whittier
11 years ago

 I went to franklin high school last year i have a job now

Karl W.
Karl W.
11 years ago

The point is not really about learning from games, but more about playfully/unconciously learn about things from games. Which gives more impact to the brain ? Sitting down memorizing names of characters in a historical event, or you unconciosly remember because you reenacted the assasination event in a video game.

Allen Hildebrandt
Allen Hildebrandt
11 years ago

Xenogears.  Xenosaga.  Lots of science and physics, religion and philsophy, psychology and eschatology in both the original (Xenogears) and it's three "Pre"quels (Xenosaga).

People hated Xenosaga because there was more plot than gameplay (A lot of passive cutscene watching).  I love games that are nose deep in lore.

Christopher Li-Reid
Christopher Li-Reid
11 years ago

true – i will admit to that provided the information is correct, otherwise we'll have more annoying americans to listen to brag about how they think they won world war 2 😛

Kyle Lees
Kyle Lees
11 years ago

so godamn true

Shamar Roby
Shamar Roby
11 years ago

Yes!

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