This project led to a shift in my thinking concerning gaming and writing. I had grown tired of reading violent text generated by young gamers and was wary of its connotations – namely that in allowing such writing in the classroom, I was condoning its content to the writer and other students as well. The shift came as I realized the gap between game conventions in storytelling and traditional storytelling in conventions was not nearly as large as I imagined. Even when considering violent source material, many productive questions both about content and craft started to emerge. Ideas began to germinate of how such writers could be engaged and challenged.
Research regarding video games and literacy remains surprisingly scant, and this was a challenge in the project. It was hard to form a well-rounded approach to the issue and my paper often resorted to parroting a small cadre of particular authors. Those that have tackled the issue, however, present intriguing points and case studies. I am continuing to do research on the links between game and traditional storytelling conventions and look forward to adding to the discussion.
I believe it’s important to communicate to teachers (myself included) that video game source material does not need to be feared. It is not an entirely new animal. Students whose storytelling experience lies largely in this genre need not necessarily fall behind – there are ample opportunities for these developing readers and writers to connect their experience (even with violent games) to craft and concepts that will be communicable to a wider audience.
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