Publish at October 16 2024 Updated October 16 2024
Video games have been adopted by a huge number of people. It has become one of the most important leisure activities. But why does it work? What are we looking for? Yet fiction also resides, and often better, in other arts. A sense of accomplishment can be found elsewhere. Why seek it in the virtual?
In ARTE's "Jour de Play" program, contributors explain their relationship with play with humor and tenderness.
For some, it's an escape from today's dull and difficult world. You can become a knight in shining armor or a kingpin - nothing like everyday life. Some, however, will have fun on titles that replicate real life, such as train driving simulators, supermarket manager simulators or even high-pressure jet cleaners. They go for them because, although they're closer to the real thing, it's actually simpler because the rules are clearer, mistakes are more obvious and it's easier to start again when you've failed.
Finally, there are those who find games to be rather similar rails and mechanics which, without revolutionizing anything, are experiences that we seek to relive from time to time, like snuggling up under the comforter.
Are video games better than life? The formula is provocative and inevitably untrue, but it does serve to highlight the incredible ability of major and independent developers to captivate audiences and draw them into a "magic circle", a concept combining rules that players must respect with opportunities for them to experiment in their own way.
Running time: 21min14
You might also like:
Koam, playing with balanced nutrition
A veritable showcase for public health, Koam was developed by Nutrikeo, a consulting firm specializing in nutritional strategies. Supported by BPI France, the Nouvelle Aquitaine region and Europe, Koam is the result of two years' work by a team of leading specialists in nutrition, childhood, pedagogy, sociology, digital and behavioral theory.
The sharing economy has led to small changes in various economic sectors such as transportation, housing, etc. This approach has changed the relationship of citizens for different services, now cheaper and offered by their fellow citizens. However, who actually benefits from this new economy? The people or the companies in question? A U.S. newsgame shows how the life of Uber drivers isn't as lucrative as one might think.
Tests of vigilance and attention
Measuring attention remains a concern in many settings. Some work tasks are not very error tolerant. Here are a series of sample tests to measure attention in children and adults.
"Phalenes! understanding natural selection through play
A serious game designed to demonstrate natural selection and its effects on a moth population.
A virtual aquarium to understand Darwinian evolution
Is it possible to understand evolution through simulation? It would seem so. A very interesting resource for high school science classes.
