‘Educational’ video games: stop kidding yourself

When I’m in EB Games, it’s always sickening to see parents and grandparents buying LEGO Indiana Jones 2 or Kung-Fu Panda for their kids. They seem to think that buying video games is kind of like buying a pair of socks: they’re all the same, so there’s no point getting fussy about a particular pair.

And by the way, there’s no such thing as an educational video game, so don’t bother with Ultimate Spelling Bee or Virtual Math Coach. The words “educational” and “videogame” shouldn’t be in the same sentence, unless you’re making the point that they shouldn’t be in the same sentence.

For one thing, you’re wasting your money, because a normal kid is never going to play 101 Grammar Exercises on their Nintendo DS.

Secondly, stop kidding yourself with the whole “educational” thing. It’s still a videogame. Kind of like those “Healthy Choice” apple slices at McDonald’s that come with caramel dip.

-Photo courtesy of mysza831