Comments on: My Favorite Edutainment Titles That Promote Literacy http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/ Exploring the value of games-as-iconography in art, literature, and popular culture Thu, 17 May 2012 11:40:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: librarian http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-856 librarian Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:26:20 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-856 Everyone has probably forgotten about how angry they were with me for not duly attributing Gesue, so I feel somewhat safer in addressing the validity of my inadvertent omission. The game came out when I was 13; I would eventually play it 11 or 12 years later. While <em>Chop Suey</em> itself doesn't have an entry on Wikipedia, elsewhere on the same site, only Duncan is credited with its creation. And though I stand by my blog's stated sentiment -- the game is a real testament to a talent we have lost -- it does seem a shame that more complete information isn't readily available. Everyone has probably forgotten about how angry they were with me for not duly attributing Gesue, so I feel somewhat safer in addressing the validity of my inadvertent omission. The game came out when I was 13; I would eventually play it 11 or 12 years later. While Chop Suey itself doesn’t have an entry on Wikipedia, elsewhere on the same site, only Duncan is credited with its creation. And though I stand by my blog’s stated sentiment—the game is a real testament to a talent we have lost—it does seem a shame that more complete information isn’t readily available.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-822 Jeremiah Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:00:37 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-822 Wow, I remember using storybook reader in the middle school computer lab in 5th grade. I also remember it being fun, but rushing through it so I could play Truckin USA and Oregon Trail. Wow, I remember using storybook reader in the middle school computer lab in 5th grade. I also remember it being fun, but rushing through it so I could play Truckin USA and Oregon Trail.

]]> By: Kevin Bunch http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-814 Kevin Bunch Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:20:49 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-814 Oh man, Carmen Sandiego ROCKED. That almanac was so awesome, even though nowadays it is completely obsolete thanks to google. I am of the mind that the best educational games are ones that are so fun, you don't even notice the educational part. Like Oregon Trail; a game wherein you ended up learning about the people who wagon trained out west. I don't think too many people think "oh, I learned this stuff from that game," but would they have learned about it without it? Carmen Sandiego is another example. I personally remember playing the four Sesame Street games on Atari a TON as a little kid, and I think it helped me with those basic math and letter identification skills. That's not to say there aren't any other nifty educational games. As you said, anything text heavy is a place to start. Hell, my brother will not read a book for any reason, but RPGs? He loves them, and has since he was wee. Even blatant games like Math Munchers, or Mario is Missing, had their fun, though I argue they aren't as effective. But when you get too overt, like, say, 3/4 of the game lineup on the Memorex VIS, I think you see a decided lack of results. Oh man, Carmen Sandiego ROCKED. That almanac was so awesome, even though nowadays it is completely obsolete thanks to google.

I am of the mind that the best educational games are ones that are so fun, you don’t even notice the educational part. Like Oregon Trail; a game wherein you ended up learning about the people who wagon trained out west. I don’t think too many people think “oh, I learned this stuff from that game,” but would they have learned about it without it? Carmen Sandiego is another example. I personally remember playing the four Sesame Street games on Atari a TON as a little kid, and I think it helped me with those basic math and letter identification skills.

That’s not to say there aren’t any other nifty educational games. As you said, anything text heavy is a place to start. Hell, my brother will not read a book for any reason, but RPGs? He loves them, and has since he was wee. Even blatant games like Math Munchers, or Mario is Missing, had their fun, though I argue they aren’t as effective. But when you get too overt, like, say, 3/4 of the game lineup on the Memorex VIS, I think you see a decided lack of results.

]]> By: Rachel Cohen http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-813 Rachel Cohen Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:51:13 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-813 I'm a little surprised that librarian didn't believe George K. Duncan worked with Gesue, who had the original idea, at Magnet. The collaboration that followed made the game a classic. I’m a little surprised that librarian didn’t believe George K. Duncan worked with Gesue, who had the original idea, at Magnet. The collaboration that followed made the game a classic.

]]> By: Andrew Crowe http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-812 Andrew Crowe Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:43:56 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-812 Oh HELLS yes! I think we had just about the exact same experience with Carmen Sandiego Deluxe Edition. Same thrill of the chase and hunting down what the flag of Belize looks like in the almanac (which IIRC, was in fact the same 1992 World Almanac. Blue cover, yes?). The fact that I thought that the videophone was possibly the coolest invention ever conceived didn't hurt either. Were I putting this list together, I would be compelled to toss in the PC version of Mario's Time Machine. The game had you, as Mario, literally surfing through time (on a surfboard no less) and jumping from one iconic epoch to another, interrogating NPC after NPC about Joan of Arc, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Gutenberg and other historical figures. Having read all this dialogue, you then had to re-contextualize all the information therein and regurgitate it into a fill-in-the-blanks style essay. Apparently essay-writing is pivotal in saving history from Bowser-created paradoxes. So reading + learning about history + Mario = fun! Oh, and if you fell off your surfboard going back in time, you wound up in the Cretaceous and had to fight dinosaurs. How cool is that? Oh HELLS yes! I think we had just about the exact same experience with Carmen Sandiego Deluxe Edition. Same thrill of the chase and hunting down what the flag of Belize looks like in the almanac (which IIRC, was in fact the same 1992 World Almanac. Blue cover, yes?). The fact that I thought that the videophone was possibly the coolest invention ever conceived didn’t hurt either.

Were I putting this list together, I would be compelled to toss in the PC version of Mario’s Time Machine. The game had you, as Mario, literally surfing through time (on a surfboard no less) and jumping from one iconic epoch to another, interrogating NPC after NPC about Joan of Arc, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Gutenberg and other historical figures. Having read all this dialogue, you then had to re-contextualize all the information therein and regurgitate it into a fill-in-the-blanks style essay. Apparently essay-writing is pivotal in saving history from Bowser-created paradoxes. So reading + learning about history + Mario = fun!

Oh, and if you fell off your surfboard going back in time, you wound up in the Cretaceous and had to fight dinosaurs. How cool is that?

]]> By: librarian http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-811 librarian Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:04:21 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-811 I actually had to look that up because I didn't believe you. So I understand your ire. Still, I don't think my remark is particularly unfair. I think it's akin to calling KQ6 "Roberta Williams' biggest achievement," in spite of it being a collaboration with Jane Jensen and, yes, lots of other people. I actually had to look that up because I didn’t believe you. So I understand your ire.

Still, I don’t think my remark is particularly unfair. I think it’s akin to calling KQ6 “Roberta Williams’ biggest achievement,” in spite of it being a collaboration with Jane Jensen and, yes, lots of other people.

]]> By: George K. http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-810 George K. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:56:16 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-810 "Chop Suey" was the collaborative work of two women, Theresa Duncan and Monica Lynn Gesue (my wife), plus a host of others--illustrators, programmers, etc. It's a little unfair to chalk it up as the sole achievement of the late Ms. Duncan. “Chop Suey” was the collaborative work of two women, Theresa Duncan and Monica Lynn Gesue (my wife), plus a host of others—illustrators, programmers, etc. It’s a little unfair to chalk it up as the sole achievement of the late Ms. Duncan.

]]> By: JC http://infinitelives.net/2008/10/08/my-favorite-edutainment-titles-that-promote-literacy/#comment-809 JC Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:13:11 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=594#comment-809 These words don't count! Only when they're printed on paper do words help with literacy! It's a fact! She should ask some librarians what they think about gaming and literacy. These words don’t count! Only when they’re printed on paper do words help with literacy! It’s a fact!

She should ask some librarians what they think about gaming and literacy.

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