Game History

Describe an event or function in the history of commercial games that you think may have been or will be critical for the use of games and simulations for learning.

I think the most significant event in the history of commercial games was the first interactive computer game, which according to this article was Spacewar! developed in 1961 by MIT student Steve Russell. From that point on, the success of each game is the result of the cumulative experience of all prior games. And for each advancement in technology, there lies in waiting someone much more clever than I, anxious to take advantage of that new technology and, for a brief moment, push the limits of gaming.

What has happened since the article was written (2005) that may further influence or change the direction of games for learning?

I think the two most significant events since the article was written are (1) the widespread availability of high speed internet connections (broadband) which facilitates the use of games over a large geographic area, and (2) the proliferation of new styles of controllers (such as found in the Wii system) which facilitate more physically interactive game playing, such as bowling, golfing and boxing with the same motions one would use in real life bowling, golfing and boxing.