New serious game from NASA
NASA is releasing a multi-player game called Moonbase Alpha, wherein players assume the role of a moon exploration team member living in a lunar settlement.
Gamers will have to get used to running with a moon-bounce loping gait while wearing a bulky moon suit — atypical for first-person video game missions. You can play alone or with a team. The game includes VOIP chat, text chat, and pretty cool 3-D graphics. It’s only supposed to take about 20 minutes.
NASA’s Learning Technologies division built the game to prove the space agency can make cool video games that will inspire kids. Ultimately, the game could be used in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education programs.
I hope they can make a game that is realistic from a scientific standpoint, but not completely boring. Today’s kids might not be into a super dull game. This may date myself, but I remember playing text only games that had a reality basis. We thought they were great, but there is no way a kid today would sit through playing the original Oregon Trail on an Apple II.