Educational Gaming Commons - Press Start

Ed Castronova is well-known for his advocacy for the use of virtual worlds in education. He's just released Arden, a virtual world that integrates some of the Bard's writings, plots, and thoughts.

To play Arden, you first have to own and install NeverWinter Nights, Diamond Edition. NWN is a fantasy role-playing game engine. It comes with several large scenarios, and many more are freely available. The current cost is about $20, and it's available in most places that sell computer games.

I just played Arden for about 30 minutes or so. It's pretty neat - you start out meeting characters and running tasks for them, so you can acquire the money and skills you'll need for adventures down the road.

You'll need an internet connection to play Arden, as it's set in multiplayer mode. Why it was done this way is unclear to me, for I did not run into any other players.

The immediate downside I see? If you don't have NWN, you have to buy it and install it. The cost is minor but real. The installation may be time-consuming. Then you have to learn how to navigate in NWN. The Arden site suggests you use the build-in tutorial, and I agree. The NWN interface is fairly intuitive, but of you're new to RPGs, is may prove an initial challenge.

As I play more, I will comment on this fascinating project.

 EDIT: Well, as it turns out this project was a bust. Read more about Castronova's thoughts on this. One thing he wrote I totally agreed with - it's no fun. Since he said it first, I'll chime in. There really was no gameplay in the "adventure." I felt no motivation to complete the initial tasks given to me, and the quotes from Shakespeare rolled over my head, truth be told. It's too bad - but this does show that unless you really follow the "What makes a game a game" guidelines, you're spinning your wheels.