Video Games

Here are some more information for Video Games:

My homeschooling co-op recently had a discussion about educational video games for kids. Here is a summary of my contributions to that discussion.

World of Goo

This game helps kids with physics. It doesn't teach them F=ma, but it helps kids develop their intuitive knowledge. It's a puzzle game, and the goal is to build large structures with balls of goo. You can buy and download this game at WorldOfGoo.com

Spore

The kids take an organism when it's just microscopic and guide its evolutionary process to becoming a complex animal, forming civilizations, and going to space. My kids have learned a bit about genetics, trade offs between fighting and forming friendships, and much more. My children love this game. Again, like World of Goo, the knowledge they learn is not specific equations, but they develop an unconscious understanding. Spore can be purchased and downloaded at spore.com.

Ikariam

Ikariam is a free, web-based game. I think this game is particularly applicable when studying topics such as ancient Greek city-states, or any small group of people growing and expanding. You start off with 40 people and a little bit of wood. Players build a town hall for people to live in, research scientific fields so they can do new things, determine how many of their people should work in the lumber or elsewhere, and build defensive walls and other buildings in the town. Players must balance economics and the happiness of their people while protecting the town from other players that might attack them. Players can form or join alliances and learn how to plan strategic battles. My husband and I both played this game for a while. (My husband still does.) My 7-year-old son also plays this game. I'm convinced that dealing with the trade-offs in Ikariam helps him understand how there are trade offs in all aspects of life. Go to ikariam.org to play this game.

Dance Mat Typing

My daughter knows how to type, really type, not just hunt and peck. My son is learning. I didn't teach them. I had my daughter play Dance Mat for about ten to fifteen minutes a day, and after a few months, she could type. I didn't force her to play either. I just told her to do her typing and she jumped at it with alacrity. This is a free, online game published on the BBC's website. Animated animals explain how to type, including proper fingering, home keys, and the like. Four different levels present different challenges and different games for the kids to play whilst learning.

Gwen Nicodemus has two children that she's been homeschooling all their lives. Gwen also teaches science and math classes in a local homeschooling cooperative. As a temporarily retired engineer, Gwen keeps her brain active by writing unit studies and little books for her kids whenever someone gets interested in a new topic. Check out the great free resources, including unit studies, videos, tutorials, and little books at http://UnitStudiesByGwen.com

©2010, Gwen Nicodemus

Play Video Games for Pay: How to Become a Video Game Tester

So you want to know about how to become a video game tester? First of all I will let you know, they are not for everybody. Most people have the tendency to think that they are very glamorous jobs where you play all of the newest games all day and have a lot of fun. The reality is that it not like that at all. You have to test and re-test the same levels of the same games over again until you find and report all the potential bugs that might be there. If you are a very detailed person, have a lot of patience and of course love to play video games then a video game testing job might be for you.Click Here!

Video game testers get to play all of the newest games available months and sometimes years before the general public even sees them. You will also become an insider in the industry and make connections. You will get to know about all the new and latest releases. A word of warning though, it very competitive. Many people who start out as testers go on to become software developers and other related positions. One example is Tommy Torrino, one of the composers of the sound track for the incredibly popular game “Halo” started in the industry as a video games tester! If you get your foot into the industry, you will be able to get to know the right people and being a video game tester will put you right where you to be to put you ahead of a lot others who are trying to break into this industry.

The great thing about video game testing jobs is that you can get a job with any level of experience. Salary levels are very wide. If you get started you can expect to earn anywhere from $10 per hour to about $120 per hour depending on your relevant experience or education. Click Here!

One of the best ways to get started with a video game tester job is from home. You might not get paid as highly for these job but you apply for video beta testing jobs and this will give you the chance to play unreleased game from the comfort of your own home.

In my signature there is a link to a great resource that explains how

to break into the game testing industry.

About the Author

Getting into the game testing jobs isn't easy. You will need guidance from experienced gamers who have done it before and now offer their help. For an unbiased review of the top 3 games job guides go here.

What does video games involve beside math, tesselations, polylgons, art and texting?

I konw it involves art, music, sound affects, voices and drawing. Can you please reccomed me some websites and books to teach me how to make awesome video games and thank you!

preference mostly >?? lol

R18+ video games 'will hurt our kids'
AUSTRALIA should keep its ban on R18+ games because "they're worse for kids than movies".

Thanks for visiting!