Creating a violence prevention video game

They examine literature and research about the impact of video games on young players, grounding it in an analysis of games, learning theories, and a systemic analysis of violence and power in society – particularly sexism and violence against women and girls. [...] An important part of being in the circle is not only the formal structure of rules that regulate it; it is also the uncertainty of the game’s “palette of strategic choice” that allows improvisation, flexibility, creativity, and the pleasure of an “uncertain ending” (Lantz and Zimmerman, 1999). [...] Paras and Bizzochhi argue that a flow experience can be fostered in the immersive magic circle of a game and that “learning and gaming are fundamentally built from the same base.” To be fully successful, then, an educational game must: • Introduce and maintain a real challenge for the player • Maintain “sensory and cognitive curiosity” for the player • Give the player a feeling of control through [...] Despite the fact that an educational game has educational intentions, it must allow players to have true play experiences, including meaningful interactivity, a level of control over the process of playing the game, structured rules and goals, and the chance to learn how to play the game in increments. [...] In practical terms, Fortugno and Zimmerman (2005) emphasize respecting the fact that making any game is difficult, understanding the limitations of project resources and the limitations of video games to act as teaching tools, as well as knowing the larger context of how a game will be used, who will use it, and how it can be distributed to its audience.