Those with a narrow mind often say that video games 'rot the brain,' and are little more than a distraction from real world issues. But can video games actually teach us valuable life lessons? Can playing them become more than just brain-rotting entertainment? In the case of Telltale's Walking Dead game, the answers to both of those questions is a resounding yes.
While most zombie games are all about running around and mindlessly killing zombies, Telltale took a far different approach to theirs, by allowing players to actually determine the actions of characters in the game. When faced with tough situations, it is your choice of options that determines the outcome of those situations (as seen above), which affects the overall story that plays out for you. What do the decisons of any given player say about that individual? And what can they learn from their decisions? A whole lot, according to one teacher in Norway.
As posted over on Gamespot, students in Tobias Staaby's class at the Nordalh Grieg High School are handed controllers and put in front of a TV screen, tasked with playing Telltale's Walking Dead video game. The teacher then has students take anonymous polls based on their decisions, which he uses to teach them ethical and moral lessons. "When one is engaged in the subject at hand," Staaby says, "one will learn better."
Check out a Norwegian news report about the awesome class below, and be sure to hit the 'CC' button and put on the subtitles of your choosing!