President Obama Announces Video Game Contest
Who said learning can't be fun?
President Barack Obama yesterday announced a video game competition that he hopes will promote education and learning through game design. Dubbed the STEM Challenge, Obama said the contest is an effort to tap into students' passion for video games and use it to promote an interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
"Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America's role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation," said President Obama.
"I applaud partners in the National STEM Video Game Challenge for lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task of strengthening America’s leadership in the 21st century by improving education in science, technology, engineering and math."
The competition is actually split up into two smaller divisions: the Youth Prize and the Developer Prize. The former will see students in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade compete for a total of $50,000 in prizes (including computers and educational software as well as cash prizes for the sponsoring schools). Students' games can be either paper-based or produced on a platform that will allow the judges to play the game for free.
The Developer prize is a little bit bigger. Devs must design a mobile game aimed at young children (pre-K through to fourth grade). They are competing for a pool of $100,000 in seed money for the refinement, research, marketing and distribution of their game; the help of the Cooney Center research team in determining potential scalable outcomes of the game; advice from experts skilled in mobile gaming R&D; publicity; an invite to participate in the next Cooney Center Leadership Forum and other prizes.
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How about investing money into the public school systems for better teachers and overall quality of education?
Not...exactly what I was thinking, but let's see how this goes!
Although to be honest, it's kind of vague to me how this is helping or assisting anyone, despite reading the article. Yeah so what if the Dev's game gets big, it takes a lot to get a game that size out there. Then again, I'm just being cynical about that. May the best little gamer/Dev win!
AMD is involved so it can't be all bad. A lot of indie developers will go for it.
So, how is this promoting education?
this is...not a bad idea at all
think about it. the US has been really falling behind in education.
but our strong point is probably video game sales. its probably stronger than any other place on this planet
give the kids educational but fun games. it's different, but if it works... i have a reason to play more games =D
Not a bad way to get the word out for a cheap price. $100k spent anywhere in schools won't make a dent in anything, but $100k prize contest will at least claim publicity for the cause.
Every modern 3D pc game promotes an interest in technology; you gotta find a rig that'll play it.
I remember games that promoted learning. They were called Number Cruncher and Math Blaster. I found them fun as hell, and I actually learned something. Why can't they just go back to the roots of simplicity and education?
I like this idea, HOWEVER, it's not going to help solve really anything. It'll help the kids that come from educated families (typically White, Asian, Middle-Eastern) and have no effect on the poor families (typically Black and Mexican). This isn't always the case in any culture but it is fairly typical (hence the italics). We also need TV with better family values and real actors/actresses and real acting and not this reality TV brain-rotting crap.
I like this idea, HOWEVER, it's not going to help solve really anything. It'll help the kids that come from educated families (typically White, Asian, Middle-Eastern) and have no effect on the poor families (typically Black and Mexican). This isn't always the case in any culture but it is fairly typical (hence the italics). We also need TV with better family values and real actors/actresses and real acting and not this reality TV brain-rotting crap.
Just turn off the TV and go outside. You won't miss it after a week, I promise.
Didn't Obama say some time ago he considered games, like many other things, were just another type of distraction from important things in life?
aquila: which is why he's trying to USE that interest and turn it into a way of learning?
I don't have too much faith in "educational" games. Most kids find them boring after a certain age.
This from the same guy who used in-game advertisements for his campaigning... he is just using our children to promote his parties ideology... winning them over at a young age...
Didn't Obama say some time ago he considered games, like many other things, were just another type of distraction from important things in life?
In a speech to the American Medical Association in Chicago, President Obama mentioned video games as a factor in unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles.
nothing beats a recession like the video game market, oh wait it's all made in Japan...
The students design games and the judges play them to decide which game is most creative, fun, educational, etc. Obviously a lot of the students will get some help from older people like their parents or teachers, but if the students are highly involved in the process, it's a good way to promote interest in science and technology. This is how the contest help promote education.
i like the idea
educational games are lacking and maybe some gems will come out of this
plus it'll promote design and hopefully promote science and engineering
But mom I am doing homework. I'm supposed to play these games.....for science!
If anyone thinks this isn't promoting education, you need to pull your head out of your ass and realize what it takes to make them.
I'm a game designer myself, and it's no easy task. Programming, art, design, adaptation for the target market/platform, the list goes on.
educational games were some of the first gaming experiences I had (AND they happened in school). Mathblasters and Treasure Mountain were great entertaining games that did actually manage, to use the old cliche, make learning fun.
Maybe it's just because I'm not that age anymore but it doesn't seem like there's the same number of interesting educational titles out there. I'm sure they could do amazing things with current generation technology. I'd love to see what, if anything, comes out of this.
Bravo!!
Didn't Obama say some time ago he considered games, like many other things, were just another type of distraction from important things in life?
if u can't beat em... join em?
Barrack Obama = Puppet
Hey Obama, go fix the economy!
I like this idea, HOWEVER, it's not going to help solve really anything. It'll help the kids that come from educated families (typically White, Asian, Middle-Eastern) and have no effect on the poor families (typically Black and Mexican). This isn't always the case in any culture but it is fairly typical (hence the italics).
So if I'm white it's OK to stereotype me? How about the poor white people who's homes are on the line..the people who are even abandoning their pets because they can't afford to keep them? How about the people who's jobs have been outsourced overseas, including to places like Mexico and Asia?
Are you views typical..or stereotypical? What if I said certain criminal demographics coming across the border were typically Mexican? How would that go down? Certain other criminal demographics typically black?!
Maybe they'll develop a video game that'll teach people how to be President!
A couple more ideas:
Michelle's Free Ride: Try guiding Michelle Obama on a tour of Europe without alerting the American press. Start with 3 "blackout points."
Suspect: Try to have a rational discussion a with a presidential spokesman without being called a racist. Earn "street creds" with the use of approved "PC" terminology.
I became a Computer and Electrical Engineer because of video games. I wanted to be able to develop the next Sony console, or the next Nintendo console. But, after I learned so much more possibility that engineers can do, I pursued higher dreams other than video game hardware development.
Promoting education through video games is an excellent idea. That is why I became an engineer, it was because of video games.
Don't forget Typing of the Dead. Can help improve your spelling as well as typing skills.
Imagine what Tesla, Fermi, and Einstein might have become if they'd only had video game technology at their disposal.
Why not make an education system that works along with how the brain functions... Stop learning through what you perceive as "fun", but on how the brain processes information, that way we can educate children on a more efficient manor...