The Reluctant Gamer

I have to say that before this class, I had a very negative view of video games. I saw them mostly as time wasters and destroyers of creativity. I think that it was because I had never been successful playing most video games even going back to my family’s first system, Nintendo (jealousy perhaps?). In my mind, traditional tabletop games and video games never seemed to have the same merit. Again, I believe this was because I spent my childhood playing traditional board games and having great success and fond memories of these toys. So I recognize now that my viewpoint was skewed by my own personal experience and failure to find my own niche within the gaming world.

This being said, I have grown to see a different side of video games. It started when I viewed the video of game creator Will Wright, describing his video game called Spore. This creator of The Sims and SimCity definitely sees the power that video games can have, when done mindfully. Spore is essentially a video game that explores the topic of evolution through player created creatures in a fictional universe. At the beginning of his speech, he brings up his Montessori schooling and how it inspired him to create toys that sparked discovery. His video game Spore essentially is a 21st Century Montessori toy which helps players explore and discover extremely profound philosophical questions and advanced scientific principles. I love the goal that Will Wright had when creating this game: to help players better understand long-term thinking and planning. This is a complex idea for more than just kids. I know plenty of adults that can barely think past their own impulses when they should be able to self-control and think about their future (know anyone that has thousands of dollars in credit card debt, but simply must have that new pair of shoes?). In this game, players become invested in their characters because they have created them. They get to see how the world evolves by changes to the flora, fauna and environment.

I love the idea that Will Wright has employed Montessori methods in his game design. I first became interested in Montessori principles after my cousin was sent to such a preschool. At a family party, I began to have a discussion with him, expecting the typical responses of a four year old. I was shocked to find him extremely articulate, polite and inquisitive (He described in detail his love for the Star Wars movies and favorite characters, his preference for the horchata at El Famous Burrito and used please and thank you more times than I could count!). When I questioned his mother about her secret powers in parenting, she responded that Montessori was the main reason for his success. I began to research like crazy. If only all of my students could become so well-rounded as this child! I learned that essentially, the Montessori method was a pedagogy that emphasized student independence in learning. The goal of the teacher is not to preach concepts and memorization, but rather to facilitate individual learning and discovery within each student. Games and toys specifically designed for teaching concepts help students discover knowledge on their own terms and in their own time frame. The goal is to help students fall in love with process of learning and teach them that focused attention and perseverance pays off in the end.

Although I was never raised in a Montessori setting, I feel that I have grown up with that same desire to learn more about the world. I think that perhaps the reason I loathed so many video games was because they seemed so pointless. Simply getting to the next level did not interest me. I did not care about winning this way. I wanted games that challenged to think, and most games went too fast for careful contemplation. However, at the on-campus day, I began to find a world of puzzle games that have truly intrigued me. My new favorite is Red Remover which forces the player to figure out how to remove the red squares while saving the green ones. Part of the learning process of the game is failure (and I have failed many, many times!), a process which Montessori recognized was essential to learning. This game requires such concentration and planning on my part that when I pass a level I feel immediately elated and cannot wait for my next challenge. It has also forced me to reconsider my position on gaming. Although I still believe that some games have more merit than others, I no longer believe that all games are evil. Baby steps...