Games and Values

Most games in today's society seem to fall into the typical mainstream category of having "family values."  The two assigned articles discuss the creative thinking that occurs in creating a game specifically moving away from this mainstream idea and deliberately focusing on moral, social, and political issues.  "Grow-A-Game" does this by assigning its participants a variety of categories, a type of game to mimic, and a value to consider.  This is called the "values conscious" approach to designing a game with all elements involved.  Both articles state that even mainstream games portray values, some may not be as prominent or they may not have been intended at all, although they are still there.  "Grow-A-Game" forces participants to focus on these values and use them in their design.  This type of creative process can be used for a variety of age groups, both students and professional designers alike.

I have not given much thought to the values that are either emphasized (or not) in games.  I now appreciate how these values can be used to start new creative thinking and problem solving that relates to real issues, outside of those "family values."  I believe this sort of activity would be a great addition to an art class's curriculum.  It would give students a chance to explore a topic and educate others about aspects of their topic while integrating values at the same time.  A group working on one game also stimulates collaboration of ideas and problem solving that may prove to be a richer experience that working alone.