Serious games: Video games for good?

Abstract

As video games become a ubiquitous part of today’s culture internationally, as educators and parents we need to turn our attention to how video games are being understood and used in informal and formal settings. Serious games have developed as a genre of video games marketed for educating youth about a range of world issues. At face value this seems aworthwhile enterprise; however, how is this genre viewed by youth who are immersed in video game culture? This paper explores what can be learned by inviting a group of youth to play and analyze current ‘‘serious’’ games. Key findings include adolescents’ comments on how serious games compare to mainstream entertainmentbased games and how world issues are represented in games. Implications from this research suggest that serious game designers need to pay attention to the perceptions and experiences of gamers if video games are going to be developed as instructional tools for youth and children.