In most games, including card or board games, players compete with each other using objects such as dice, cups, marbles, or words. A good game is actually something people enjoy for pure entertainment. Even if you have never thought much about it before, a good game of board game can be very educational. If so, that’s different from work, where your only goal is to get the job done.
The history of board games dates back to the ancient Chinese, and the earliest forms of game play were similar to Chinese checkers or chess. Over time, the design of the game has changed slightly, but the basic rules have not. The first computer games were a direct result of the popularity of these old classic games. Now, millions of people all around the world play these games on computer programmable personal computers, which are usually equipped with a random number generator and a game plan program that guides the player through a sequence of moves.
One such game, that some people may remember from their childhoods, is called Rayman Origins. It is the latest offering in the genre of platform games that allow the player to select various instruments from a variety of musical instruments and use them to score points. This type of game was very popular in schools all over the world in the eighties, because it involved minimal interaction from the player, and therefore fell outside the realm of what most parents considered ‘educational.’ However, with the increasing popularity of video games on personal computers, as well as the availability of downloadable software, it seems that the old school games may be losing their appeal. With newer games, such as Rayman Origins, coming out constantly, what is left for parents and educators to recommend?