Learning to play means learning another person’s set of rules. Or writing the rules together with them.
Playing sports is a terrific way to experience the benefits of compromise (peace, profits) on a small scale and that’s where real change happens.
Video games offer a similar opportunity for co-operation. Yes, there are “death squad” games but then there’s the wildly popular Super Mario Galaxy – 4m units sold in the U.S. alone. Nintendo has made a fortune creating progressive games. That’s quite remarkable. Because profits, without peace, are pretty much useless.
And the market in which video games are consumed is evolving quickly.
Today, I saw a very nicely done movie trailer for a book. Yes, a movie trailer for a book – on a popular video sharing web site. That’s a true (not forced) multimedia experience. The book itself is noteworthy for being a playful genre: the remix. And commercially successful. (i.e., Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.)
Perhaps, the U.S. will develop its own form of sms novels. And the electronic novel which breaks through will be written together by all its players.