Tangential Learning

I felt as though there was not as much game philosophy on this site as a I would like. In the effort to jump-start the topic in my mind, I've been watching Extra Credits and became a member of Escapist (the Escapist? Escapist magazine? Not sure how to reference that). I'm watching from the most current backwards, and about 14 weeks ago they did one on Tangential Learning in games.

I thought they might have mentioned Assassin's Creed 2 and/or Brotherhood since the story is set in a rather accurate renaissance Italy. However, I may know why they didn't.

Girl Gaming

Earlier I mentioned a post about girls in gaming. It was chosen for the Speak up post of the day on Kotaku. Jason Taylor (whose Kotaku page is gone) added this is the comments. In my opinion, it is a very concise account not just of women in gaming, but the discussion of women in gaming too. Genetics vs. society is often confused, and I can't remember many pregnant game characters....

On a related note, I had a conversation between myself and another commenter on Kotaku. The other commenter said biology was the reason that more women don't play games, not that women were not included in games. I thought that the biology of women did not exclude them from an interest in gaming, and that if anything, their biology gives them certain advantages in gaming. Hit the jump for the entire conversation, but be warned it is very long.

Creation, Destruction, and Gaming

Gamesutra has the full text of an interview with accomplished game creator Hirokazu Yasuhara. The article goes beyond games to explain how game design can mirror the challenges and emotions in life. The cycle of fear and relief that we can identify in life is the same principle that shapes good game design. What he uses to create positive gaming experiences correlate to reality in their foundations for success (such as being comfortable in your environment and achieving goals). He states there is no real freedom in games, and that a responsible, caring master creator is necessary for a good gaming experience. It's a very holistic approach to gaming, and evidence that this man should write a book on his musings. Whether you agree or not, it's intriguing to hear what he thinks about games.