Sydney has a cool list over on WoW Ladies LJ, about what she learned from videogames, and most of the items sound specifically like they're from World of Warcraft. Diplomacy and Leadership are probably pretty obvious, and we've already heard that some companies are seeing a stint as a GL in WoW as a bonus to the resume. But Sydney also learned the value of a savings account (because saving up for an epic mount might be the biggest amount of saving some players have done), math and economics from WoW. There's no question that the math can get pretty complicated, and if you can wrap your head around how much agility you need to break 25% on your Dodge, you're definitely on top of algebra, if not a little bit of calculus.But the two items I was most surprised by were that Sydney says she learned vocabulary and problem-solving from videogames. I don't doubt at all that they're true, but learning vocabulary is not something that's normally expected from playing games, either online or offline. Still, words like "mitigate" (her example) are used all the time when theorycrafting, and while there are a lot of jargon words floating around (you'll probably never use "tanking" in a real life conversation), just using that vocabulary can help. And problem-solving is obvious, not just in WoW, but in all videogames-- you could argue that all videogaming is simply being presented with a problem for the player to solve.
I'm not saying that we should all play WoW all the time instead of going to school (sorry kids). But when people with self-control and a good center play videogames (as opposed to people who don't), all kinds of good can happen.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-14-2007 @ 5:28PM
Tekkub said...
Calculus? I've never seen a lick of calculus in any of the equations people have worked out for WoW...
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8-14-2007 @ 5:38PM
Mike said...
The formula linked isn't even algebra is it? It looks like simple arithmetic- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In order for it to be algebra I think it has to have unknown variables (or a matrix if it is linear algebra) and for it to be calculus it have to have limits, derivatives or integrals.
But yeah I've definitely learned a large portion of my vocabulary from video games. Where else do you learn important words like "toggle" or "strafe"?
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8-14-2007 @ 5:39PM
Epiny said...
So true. I learned alot about not letting my emotions get the best of me and "flaming" guild mates for what I considered to be unethical or greedy actions. Your learn diplomacy and if you are in a major raiding guild you learn to deal with co-workers you don't like.
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8-14-2007 @ 5:58PM
Paul said...
think he was joking about the calculus thing guys
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8-14-2007 @ 6:17PM
lucifer.cross said...
Guh.. A game I pay money to play for entertainment should not make me do math. Dammit.
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8-14-2007 @ 6:40PM
sotallytober said...
#5=someone who is still trying to down gruul
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8-14-2007 @ 7:00PM
marvel said...
It's pretty pathetic if you have to play a video game to learn these skills.
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8-14-2007 @ 7:00PM
Mike Schramm said...
Ok well I will be the first to say I suck at math, but I thought algebra was where you solved for x when you knew everything else in the equation. In that case, figuring out how much Agi you need for a certain Dodge score is algebra, as I said.
As for calculus, I haven't touched that since high school, so I'm not sure what it entails. You may be right in that you don't need to use any calc to break down WoW's numbers.
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8-14-2007 @ 8:03PM
The_Harv said...
Actually, I use "tanking" in real life when I have to do aggro management between the boss, the girlfriend, friends and family. Everyone is demanding my attention.
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8-15-2007 @ 2:34AM
Greg said...
"mitigate"? are you kidding? Sydney needs to quit playing video games so much and go back to school!
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8-15-2007 @ 7:31AM
OrionPaxt said...
World of Warcraft is not just a game, but a place to learn and share cultures.
In my experiences in WOW I have seen the following educational values:
1. Learned new words (vocabulary)
2. Learned about and discussed other cultures. I am in the US and many guild members are from other countries
3. Learn spelling
4. Learn Typing
5. Learn mathematics – I tutored another guild member in college algebra in the guild chat and was able to call for aid from other guild members when I was stuck on a problem.
So WOW is not only an entertaining game, but a place to learn, share experiences, discuss topics, and build on-line friendships.
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8-15-2007 @ 3:55PM
Sydney said...
Though the primary influence was, in fact, WoW, the list was designed to include most, if not all, video games. I'm sure many will agree that the majority of WoW's problems that require solving are nothing compared to that of, say, the Myst games. Several of the items can also be applied to any MMO.
And a note to Greg (comment #10). Considering I'm currently in college for web design, I hardly think I have to go back to school, particularly to learn vocabulary. If you read my post that this entry derived from then you'd know why I used mitigate as an example.
Here, I'll give you other examples if you'd like:
Hinterlands - a remote area, back country
Eviscerate - to disembowel
Lacerate - to cut or tear irregularly
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8-15-2007 @ 7:13PM
cdb2000 said...
What about "lawl," "GG n00b," or "GTFO?" Those are all pretty important to know when tackling literary classics.
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