While there are many games that allow you to explore virtual worlds either alone or with friends. There is a small genre of games that allow you to create virtual worlds of your very own. In these genre of games, often referred to as "god games", the player has near limitless power to create planets, living entities, even societies that the player can then mold into whatever form of culture they choose. Two specific games stand out as famous examples of this genre, the fire game, Black and White cast the player as a literal deity at the dawn of time. The player had the power to be a benevolent god who protected his people through and miracles or a dark and evil deity who cursed the land and demanded constant sacrifice to feed your ego. There no punishments for either play style, the game simply altered itself to fit how you wished your world to be.
The second game, Spore has the player guide an individual species through evolution, from a single cell organism to a space faring race seeding other planets with life. The innovation of spore is that every other organism the player interacted with is a creation of a different player from their own version of spore from a central sever. This meant that the more precise and effective your creature was, the more likely it was to thrive in other players worlds and interact their societies, influencing their evolution.
God games continue to be a small genre of the overall game industry but their influence has been felt in the design and development of many of the virtual worlds that have risen to prominence.
God Games-information about god games
These types of games could be used to explain the big bang theory of the creation of the universe and life on planet Earth. If presented as a creative approach to controversial theories, such as the big bang and evolution, perhaps it would become more acceptable to more religious conservatives. What has the response been to games like this from religious groups?
ReplyDeletepretty negative actually. extremely religious groups believe video games have a secular agenda and have funded large scale projects to make religious games based on the bible and the "left behind" book series.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the great creativity of this game but not all aspects. Religious controversial is not a small thing to ignore. Thank April and Aiabramo for raising this issue.
ReplyDeleteI always have a question in my mind that what kids learn from virtual worlds, especially these types of games. I agree that these innovations have some benefits. For example, these technology tools enable kids to create their own ideal worlds that may help them impriove their creative thinking. But how about the moral, it will be good if these technology tools can help our kids learn moral from using these technology tools.
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