The gaming world is really in an intriguing place at the moment. Streaming technology looks set to transform how players access video game titles in the very near future, while both augmented and virtual reality are bringing a new perspective on what gameplay can ultimately mean.
Furthermore, with mobile gaming becoming increasingly sophisticated and growing at a huge rate, it seems like there are more talking points than ever before when it comes to the industry.
A core part of culture
UNESCO’s move to embrace gaming is a fascinating one and undoubtedly a development which marks an interesting new chapter in general for the pastime.
Gaming, from its most basic forms to today’s advanced tech-driven industry, has been a core part of culture and heritage for centuries, with many games still being played today having intriguing historical roots. For example, board games like chess, backgammon, and checkers are believed to have originated thousands of years ago.
Furthermore, dice games are understood to have been played regularly by the Ancient Romans, while playing cards are a concept which is thought to have begun in China many centuries ago. Incredibly, even a game like bingo has a long history, as it is thought to have first emerged in Italy in the 1500s.
Put simply, in these times of mobile and video gaming, it is easy to forget that relaxing by playing a game or two is something that runs to the very core of societies across the world and remains a way in which communities interact with one another – online or otherwise.
Power and popularity
Nowadays, people simply have so many options available at the touch of a button, and this has led to many brands actively competing to retain consumer attention.
Considering just how massive gaming is at the moment, it is perhaps unsurprising to see that an organization like the UN is looking to tap into the industry’s power and popularity in order to promote peaceful and sustainable initiatives. VentureBeat recently reported on how the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development has been using games to entertain and also educate young people on global issues.
The body’s titles include World Rescue, which is a video game that sees players meet young people from across the world and help them solve major issues like disease, drought, and pollution within their respective communities. Another game is Cantor’s World, which introduces gamers to policy choices and how they have an impact on short-term results and long-term sustainability.
A new way to engage
Considering just how vital gaming is to us as individuals and as a society, it makes sense that the UN would look to use it to engage people and educate them on important global and sustainability issues.
While it is hard to see their games having an impact on mainstream entertainment culture like the classics above, the games aim to at least get young people thinking more about some of the fundamental issues that our planet is facing, today and in the years ahead.
